A    READING    OF    LIFE 


A  READING  OF  LIFE 

WITH    OTHER    POEMS 


BY    GEORGE    MEREDITH 


NEW   YORK 
CHARLES   SCRIBNER'S   SONS 

1901 


Copyright,  1901,  by 
GEORGE  MEREDITH 


THE  oevmxe 


- 

£* 


CONTENTS 

PACK 

A  READING  OP  LIFE — 

THE  VITAL  CHOICE 1 

WITH  THE  HUNTRESS 3 

WITH  THE  PERSUADER 8 

THE  TEST  OP  MANHOOD 28 

THE  CAGEING  OF  ARES 45 

THE  NIGHT- WALK 55 

/THE  HUELESS  LOVE 60 

SONG  IN  THE  SONGLESS 63 

UNION  IN  DISSEVERANCE 64 

THE  BURDEN  OF  STRENGTH 65 

THE  MAIN  REGRET 66 

ALTERNATION 68 

vii 


20452 


CONTENTS 

PACK 

HAWARDEN 69 

AT  THE  CLOSE 70 

FOREST  HISTORY 71 

A  GARDEN  IDYL 81 

FORESIGHT  AND  PATIENCE 88 

FRAGMENTS     OF     THE     ILIAD     IN     ENGLISH     HEXAMETER 
VERSE  : — 

THE    INVECTIVE    OP   ACHILLES       ....  109 
MARSHALLING    OF   THE    ACHAIANS  .        .        .        .114 

AGAMEMNON    IN    THE    FIGHT 117 

PARIS  AND  DIOMEDES 119 

HYPNOS  ON  IDA 121 

CLASH  IN  ARMS  OF  THE  ACHAIANS  AND  TROJANS  122 

THE  HORSES  OF  ACHILLES 123 

THE  MARES  OF  THE  CAMARGUE  126 


Vlll 


A    READING   OF    LIFE 


THE  VITAL  CHOICE 

i 

OR  shall  we  run  with  Artemis, 

Or  yield  the  breast  to  Aphrodite? 

Both  are  mighty; 

Both  give  bliss ; 

Each  can  torture  if  divided ; 

Each  claims  worship  undivided, 

In  her  wake  would  have  us  wallow. 


A    BEADING    OF    LIFE 


n 

Youth  must  offer  on  bent  knees 

Homage  unto  one  or  other; 

Earth,  the  mother, 

This  decrees ; 

And  unto  the  pallid  Scyther 

Either  points  us  shun  we  either, 

Shun  or  too  devoutly  follow. 


A    READING    OF    LIFE 


WITH  THE  HUNTRESS 

THROUGH  the  water-eye  of  night, 
Midway  between  eve  and  dawn, 
See  the  chase,  the  rout,  the  flight 
In  deep  forest;  oread,  faun, 
Goat-foot,  antlers  laid  on  neck ; 
Eavenous  all  the  line  for  speed. 
See  yon  wavy  sparkle  beck 
Sign  of  the  Virgin  Lady's  lead. 
Down  her  course  a  serpent  star 
Coils  and  shatters  at  her  heels; 
Peals  the  horn  exulting,  peals 
Plaintive,  is  it  near  or  far. 
3 


A    BEADING    OF    LIFE 

Huntress,  arrowy  to  pursue, 
In  and  out  of  woody  glen, 
Under  cliffs  that  tear  the  blue, 
Over  torrent,  over  fen, 
She  and  forest,  where  she  skims 
Feathery,  darken  and  relume : 
Those  are  her  white-lightning  limbs 
Cleaving  loads  of  leafy  gloom. 
Mountains  hear  her  and  call  back, 
Shrewd  with  night :  a  frosty  wail 
Distant:  her  the  emerald  vale 
Folds,  and  wonders  in  her  track. 
Now  her  retinue  is  lean, 
Many  rearward ;  streams  the  chase 
Eager  forth  of  covert ;  seen 
One  hot  tide  the  rapturous  race. 
Quiver-charged  and  crescent-crowned, 
Up  on  a  flash  the  lighted  mound 
Leaps  she,  bow  to  shoulder,  shaft 
4 


WITH    THE    HUNTRESS 

Strung  to  barb  with  archer's  craft, 
Legs  like  plaited  lyre-chords,  feet 
Songs  to  see,  past  pitch  of  sweet. 
Fearful  swiftness  they  outrun, 
Shaggy  wildness,  grey  or  dun, 
Challenge,  charge  of  tusks  elude : 
Theirs  the  dance  to  tame  the  rude ; 
Beast,  and  beast  in  manhood  tame, 
Follow  we  their  silver  flame. 
Pride  of  flesh  from  bondage  free. 
Reaping  vigour  of  its  waste, 
Marks  her  servitors,  and  she 
Sanctifies  the  unembraced. 
Nought  of  perilous  she  recks  ; 
Valour  clothes  her  open  breast; 
Sweet  beyond  the  thrill  of  sex ; 
Hallowed  by  the  sex  confessed. 
Huntress  arrowy  to  pursue, 
Colder  she  than  sunless  dew, 
5 


A    READING    OF    LIFE 

She,  that  breath  of  upper  air ; 
Ay,  but  never  lyrist  sang, 
Draught  of  Bacchus  never  sprang 
Blood  the  bliss  of  Gods  to  share, 
High  o'er  sweep  of  eagle  wings, 
Like  the  run  with  her,  when  rings 
Clear  her  rally,  and  her  dart, 
In  the  forest's  cavern  heart, 
Tells  of  her  victorious  aim. 
Then  is  pause  and  chatter,  cheer, 
Laughter  at  some  satyr  lame, 
Looks  upon  the  fallen  deer, 
Measuring  his  noble  crest; 
Here  a  favourite  in  her  train, 
Foremost  mid  her  nymphs,  caressed^ 
All  applauded.    Shall  she  reign 
Worshipped?    O  to  be  with  her  there! 
She,  that  breath  of  nimble  air, 
Lifts  the  breast  to  giant  power. 
6 


WITH    THE    HUNTRESS 

Maid  and  man,  and  man  and  maid, 
Who  each  other  would  devour 
Elsewhere,  by  the  chase  betrayed, 
There  are  comrades,  led  by  her, 
Maid-preserver,  man-maker. 


A    BEADING    OF    LIFE 


WITH  THE  PERSUADER 

WHO  murmurs,  hither,  hither:  who 
Where  nought  is  audible  so  fills  the  ear? 
Where  nought  is  visible  can  make  appear 
A  veil  with  eyes  that  waver  through, 
Like  twilight's  pledge  of  blessed  night  to  come, 
Or  day  most  golden?    All  unseen  and  dumb, 
She  breathes,  she  moves,  inviting  flees, 
Is  lost,  and  leaves  the  thrilled  desire 
To  clasp  and  strike  a  slackened  lyre, 
Till  over  smiles  of  hyacinth  seas, 
Flame  in  a  crystal  vessel  sails 
Beneath  a  dome  of  jewelled  spray, 
8 


WITH    THE    PERSUADER 

For  land  that  drops  the  rosy  day 
On  nights  of  throbbing  nightingales. 

Landward  did  the  wonder  flit, 

Or  heart's  desire  of  her,  all  earth  in  it. 

We  saw  the  heavens  fling  down  their  rose ; 

On  rapturous  waves  we  saw  her  glide ; 

The  pearly  sea-shell  half  enclose ; 

The  shoal  of  sea-nymphs  flush  the  tide  j 

And  we,  afire  to  kiss  her  feet,  no  more 

Behold  than  tracks  along  a  startled  shore, 

With  brightened  edges  of  dark  leaves  that  feign 

An  ambush  hoped,  as  heartless  night  remain. 

More  closely,  warmly :  hither,  hither !  she, 
The  very  she  called  forth  by  ripened  blood 
For  its  next  breath  of  being,  murmurs ;  she, 
Allurement ;  she,  fulfilment ;  she, 
The  stream  within  us  urged  to  flood ; 
9 


A    BEADING    OF    LIFE 

Man's  cry,  earth's  answer,  heaven's  consent ;  O  she, 

Maid,  woman  and  divinity; 

Our  over-earthly,  inner-earthly  mate 

Unmated ;  she,  our  hunger  and  our  fruit 

Untasted;  she,  our  written  fate 

Unread;  Life's  flowering,  Life's  root: 

Unread,  divined;  unseen,  beheld; 

The  evanescent,  ever-present  she, 

Great  Nature's  stern  necessity 

In  radiance  clothed,  to  softness  quelled ; 

"With  a  sword's  edge  of  sweetness  keen  to  take 

Our  breath  for  bliss,  our  hearts  for  fulness  break. 

The  murmur  hushes  down,  the  veil  is  rent. 
Man's  cry,  earth's  answer,  heaven's  consent, 
Her  form  is  given  to  pardoned  sight, 
And  lets  our  mortal  eyes  receive 
The  sovereign  loveliness  of  celestial  white ; 
Adored  by  them  who  solitarily  pace, 

10 


WITH    THE    PERSUADER 

In  dusk  of  the  underworld's  perpetual  eve, 

The  paths  among  the  meadow  asphodel, 

Remembering.     Never  there  her  face 

Is  planetary;  reddens  to  shore  sea-shell 

Around  such  whiteness  the  enamoured  air 

Of  noon  that  clothes  her,  never  there. 

Daughter  of  light,  the  joyful  light, 

She  stands  unveiled  to  nuptial  sight, 

Sweet  in  her  disregard  of  aid 

Divine  to  conquer  or  persuade. 

A  fountain  jets  from  moss ;  a  flower 

Bends  gently  where  her  sunset  tresses  shower. 

By  guerdon  of  her  brilliance  may  be  seen 

With  eyelids  unabashed  the  passion's  Queen. 

Shorn  of  attendant  Graces  she  can  use 
Her  natural  snares  to  make  her  will  supreme. 
A  simple  nymph  it  is,  inclined  to  muse 
Before  the  leader  foot  shall  dip  in  stream : 
11 


A    READING    OF    LIFE 

One  arm  at  curve  along  a  rounded  thigh ; 

Her  firm  new  breasts  each  pointing  its  own  way ; 

A  knee  half  bent  to  shade  its  fellow  shy, 

Where  innocence,  not  nature,  signals  nay. 

The  bud  of  fresh  virginity  awaits 

The  wooer,  and  all  roseate  will  she  burst : 

She  touches  on  the  hour  of  happy  mates ; 

Still  is  she  unaware  she  wakens  thirst. 

And  while  commanding  blissful  sight  believe 
It  holds  her  as  a  body  strained  to  breast, 
Down  on  the  underworld's  perpetual  eve 
She  plunges  the  possessor  dispossessed; 
And  bids  believe  that  image,  heaving  warm, 
Is  lost  to  float  like  torch-smoke  after  flame ; 
The  phantom  any  breeze  blows  out  of  form ; 
A  thirst's  delusion,  a  defeated  aim. 

The  rapture  shed  the  torture  weaves; 
12 


The  direst  blow  on  human  heart  she  deals: 

The  pain  to  know  the  seen  deceives ; 

Nought  true  but  what  insufferably  feels. 

And  stabs  of  her  delicious  note, 

That  is  as  heavenly  light  to  hearing,  heard 

Through    shelter   leaves,   the   laughter   from    her 

throat, 
We  answer  as  the  midnight's  morning's  bird. 

She  laughs,  she  wakens  gleeful  cries ; 
In  her  delicious  laughter  part  revealed ; 
Yet  mother  is  she  more  of  moans  and  sighs, 
For  longings  unappeased  and  wounds  unhealed. 
Yet  would  she  bless,  it  is  her  task  to  bless : 
Yon  folded  couples,  passing  under  shade, 
Are  her  rich  harvest;  bidden  caress,  caress, 
Consume  the  fruit  in  bloom ;  not  disobeyed. 
We  dolorous  complainers  had  a  dream, 
Wrought  on  the  vacant  air  from  inner  fire, 

13 


A    BEADING    OF    LIFE 

We  saw  stand  bare  of  her  celestial  beam 
The  glorious  Goddess,  and  we  dared  desire. 

Thereat  are  shown  reproachful  eyes,  and  lips 
Of  upward  curl  to  meanings  half  obscure ; 
And  glancing  where  a  wood-nymph  lightly  skips 
She  nods :  at  once  that  creature  wears  her  lure. 
Blush  of  our  being  between  birth  and  death : 
Sob  of  our  ripened  blood  for  its  next  breath : 
Her  wily  semblance  nought  of  her  denies ; 
Seems  it  the  Goddess  runs,  the  Goddess  hies, 
The  generous  Goddess  yields.     And  she  can  arm 
Her  dwarfed  and  twisted  with  her  secret  charm  ; 
Benevolent  as  Earth  to  feed  her  own. 
Fully  shall  they  be  fed,  if  they  beseech. 
But  scorn  she  has  for  them  that  walk  alone ; 
Blanched    men,   starved   women,    whom   no   arts 

can  pleach. 

The  men  as  chief  of  criminals  she  disdains, 

14 


WITH    THE    PERSUADER 

And  holds  the  reason  in  perceptive  thought. 

More  pitiable,  like  rivers  lacking  rains, 

Kissing  cold  stones,  the  women  shrink  for  drought. 

Those  faceless  discords,  out  of  nature  strayed, 

Kank  of  the  putrefaction  ere  decayed, 

In  impious  singles  bear  the  thorny  wreaths 

Their     lives     are     where     harmonious     Pleasure 

breathes 

For  couples  crowned  with  flowers  that  burn  in  dew. 
Comes  there  a  tremor  of  night's  forest  horn 
Across  her  garden  from  the  insaner  crew, 
She  darkens  to  malignity  of  scorn. 
A  shiver  courses  through  her  garden-grounds : 
Grunt  of  the  tusky  boar,  the  baying  hounds, 
The  hunter's  shouts,  are  heard  afar,  and  bring 
Dead  on  her  heart  her  crimsoned  flower  of  Spring. 
These,  the  irreverent  of  Life's  design, 
Division  between  natural  and  divine 
Would  cast;  these  vaunting  barrenness  for  best, 
15 


A    READING    OF    LIFE 

In  veins  of  gathered  strength  Life's  tide  arrest ; 
And  these  because  the  roses  flood  their  cheeks, 
Vow  them  in  nature  wise  as  when  Love  speaks. 
With  them  is  war ;  and  well  the  Goddess  knows 
What  undermines  the  race  who  mount  the  rose ; 
How  the  ripe  moment,  lodged  in  slumberous  hours, 
Enkindled  by  persuasion  overpowers: 
Why  weak  as  are  her  frailer  trailing  weeds, 
The     strong    when     Beauty    gleams     o'er    Nature's 

needs, 

And  timely  guile  unguarded  finds  them  lie. 
They  who  her  sway  withstand  a  sea  defy, 
At  every  point  of  juncture  must  be  proof; 
Nor  look  for  mercy  from  the  incessant  surge 
Her  forces  mixed  of  craft  and  passion  urge 
For  the  one  whelming  wave  to  spring  aloof. 
She,  tenderness,  is  pitiless  to  them 
Resisting  in  her  godhead  nature's  truth. 
No  flower  their  face  shall  be,  but  writhen  stem ; 

16 


WITH    THE    PERSUADER 

Their  youth  a  frost,  their  age  the  dirge  for  youth. 

These  miserably  disinclined, 

The  lamentably  unembraced, 

Insult  the  Pleasures  Earth  designed 

To  people  and  beflower  the  waste. 

Wherefore  the  Pleasures  pass  them  by 

For  death  they  live,  in  life  they  die. 

Her  head  the  Goddess  from  them  turns, 
As  from  grey  mounds  of  ashes  in  bronze  urns. 
She  views  her  quivering  couples  unconsoled, 
And  of  her  beauty  mirror  they  become, 
Like  orchard  blossoms,  apple,  pear  and  plum, 
Free  of  the  cloud,  beneath  the  flood  of  gold. 
Crowned  with  wreaths  that  burn  in  dew, 
Her  couples  whirl,  sun-satiated, 
Athirst  for  shade ;  they  sigh,  they  wed, 
They  play  the  music  made  of  two : 
Oldest  of  earth,  earth's  youngest  till  earth's  end : 

17  c 


A    READING    OF    LIFE 

Cunninger  than  the  numbered  strings, 

For  melodies,  for  harmonies, 

For  mastered  discords,  and  the  things 

Not  vocable,  whose  mysteries 

Are  inmost  Love's,  Life's  reach  of  Life  extend. 

Is  it  an  anguish  overflowing  shame 
And  the  tongue's  pudency  confides  to  her, 
With  eyes  of  embers,  breath  of  incense  myrrh, 
The    woman's     marrow    in    some    dear    youth's 

name, 

Then  is  the  Goddess  tenderness 
Maternal,  and  she  has  a  sister's  tones 
Benign  to  soothe  intemperate  distress, 
Divide  despair  from  hope,  and  sighs  from  moans. 
Her  gentleness  imparts  exhaling  ease 
To  those  of  her  milk-bearer  votaries 
As  warm  of  bosom-earth  as  she ;  of  the  source 
Direct  j  erratic  but  in  heart's  excess ; 
18 


WITH    THE    PERSUADER 

Being   mortal    and    ill-matched   for     Love's     great 

force ; 
Like    green    leaves    caught     with     flames     by     his 

impress.  , 

And  pray  they  under  skies  less  overcast, 
That  swiftly  may  her  star  of  eve  descend, 
Her  lustrous  morning  star  fly  not  too  fast, 
To  lengthen  blissful  night  will  she  befriend. 

Unfailing  her  reply  to  woman's  voice 

In  supplication  instant.     Is  it  man's, 

She  hears,  approves  his  words,  her  garden  scans, 

And  him :  the  flowers  are  various,  he  has  choice. 

Perchance  his  wound  is  deep ;  she  listens  long ; 

Enjoys  what  music  fills  the  plaintive  song; 

And  marks  how  he,  who  would  be  hawk  at  poise 

Above  the  bird,  his  plaintive  song  enjoys. 

She  reads  him  when  his  humbled  manhood  weeps 
To  her  invoked :  distraction  is  implored. 

19 


A    READING    OF    LIFE 

A  smile,  and  he  is  up  on  godlike  leaps 

Above,  with  his  bright  Goddess  owned  the  adored. 

His  tales  of  her  declare  she  condescends ; 

Can  share  his  fires,  not  always  goads  and  rends : 

Moreover,  quits  a  throne,  and  must  enclose 

A  queenlier  gem  than  woman's  wayside  rose. 

She    bends,    he     quickens ;    she    breathes    low,    he 

springs 

Enraptured ;  low  she  laughs,  his  woes  disperse  ; 
Aloud  she  laughs  and  sweeps  his  varied  strings. 
"Tis  taught  him  how  for  touch  of  mournful  verse 
Earely  the  music  made  of  two  ascends, 
And  Beauty's  Queen  some  other  way  is  won. 
Or  it  may  solve  the  riddle,  that  she  lends 
Herself  to  all,  and  yields  herself  to  none, 
Save  heavenliest :  though  claims  by  men  are  raised 
In  hot  assurance  under  shade  of  doubt : 
And  numerous  are  the  images  bepraised 
As  Beauty's  Queen,  should  passion  head  the  rout. 

20 


WITH    THE    PERSUADER 

Be  sure  the  ruddy  hue  is  Love's :  to  woo 
Love's  Fountain  we  must  mount  the  ruddy  hue. 
That  is  her  garden's  precept,  seen  where  shines 
Her  blood-flower,  and  its  unsought  neighbour  pines. 
Daughter  of  light,  the  joyful  light, 
She  bids  her  couples  face  full  East, 
Reflecting  radiance,  even  when  from  her  feast 
Their  outstretched  arms  brown  deserts  disunite, 
The  lion-haunted  thickets  hold  apart. 
In  love  the  ruddy  hue  declares  great  heart; 
High  confidence  in  her  whose  aid  is  lent 
To  lovers  lifting  the  tuned  instrument, 
Not  one  of  rippled  strings  and  funeral  tone. 
And  doth  the  man  pursue  a  tightened  zone, 
Then  be  it  as  the  Laurel  God  he  runs, 
Confirmed  to  win,  with  countenance  the  Sun's. 

Should  pity  bless  the  tremulous  voice  of  woe 

21 


A    READING    OF    LIFE 

He  lifts  for  pity,  limp  his  offspring  show. 

For  him  requiring  woman's  arts  to  please 

Infantile  tastes  with  babe  reluctances, 

No  race  of  giants !    In  the  woman's  veins 

Persuasion  ripely  runs,  through  hers  the  pains. 

Her  choice  of  him,  should  kind  occasion  nod, 

Aspiring  blends  the  Titan  with  the  God; 

Yet  unto  dwarf  and  mortal,  she,  submiss 

In  her  high  Lady's  mandate,  yields  the  kiss; 

And  is  it  needed  that  Love's  daintier  brute 

Be  snared  as  hunter,  she  will  tempt  pursuit. 

She  is  great  Nature's  ever  intimate 

In  breast,  and  doth  as  ready  handmaid  wait, 

Until  perverted  by  her  senseless  male, 

She  plays  the  winding  snake,  the  shrinking  snail, 

The  flying  deer,  all  tricks  of  evil  fame, 

Elusive  to  allure,  since  he  grew  tame. 

Hence  has  the  Goddess,  Nature's  earliest  Power, 

22 


WITH    THE    PEKSUADER 

And  greatest  and  most  present,  with  her  dower 

Of  the  transcendent  beauty,  gained  repute 

For  meditated  guile.     She  laughs  to  hear 

A  charge  her  garden's  labyrinths  scarce  confute, 

Her  garden's  histories  tell  of  to  all  near. 

Let  it  be  said,     But  less  upon  her  guile 

Doth  she  rely  for  her  immortal  smile. 

Still  let  the  rumour  spread,  and  terror  screens 

To  push  her  conquests  by  the  simplest  means. 

While  man  abjures  not  lustihead,  nor  swerves 

From  earth's  good  labours,  Beauty's  Queen  he  serves. 

Her  spacious  garden  and  her  garden's  grant 
She  offers  in  reward  for  handsome  cheer : 
Choice  of  the  nymphs  whose  looks  will  slant 
The  secret  down  a  dewy  leer 
Of  corner  eyelids  into  haze : 
Many  a  fair  Aphrosyne 
Like  flower-bell  to  honey-bee : 

23 


A    BEADING    OF    LIFE 

And  here  they  flicker  round  the  maze 
Bewildering  him  in  heart  and  head : 
And  here  they  wear  the  close  demure, 
With  subtle  peeps  to  reassure : 
Others  parade  where  love  has  bled, 
And  of  its  crimson  weave  their  mesh : 
Others  to  snap  of  fingers  leap, 
As  bearing  breast  with  love  asleep. 
These  are  her  laughters  in  the  flesh. 
Or  would  she  fit  a  warrior  mood, 
She  lights  her  seeming  unsubdued, 
And  indicates  the  fortress-key. 
Or  is  it  heart  for  heart  that  craves, 
She  flecks  along  a  run  of  waves 
The  one  to  promise  deeper  sea. 

Bands  of  her  limpid  primitives, 
Or  patterned  in  the  curious  braid, 
Are  the  blest  man's;  and  whatsoe'er  he  gives, 
24 


WITH    THE    PERSUADER 

For  what  he  gives  is  he  repaid. 
Good  is  it  if  by  him  'tis  held 
He  wins  the  fairest  ever  welled 
From  Nature's  founts :  she  whispers  it :  Even  I 
Not  fairer !  and  forbids  him  to  deny, 
Else  little  is  he  lover.     Those  he  clasps, 
Intent  as  tempest,  worshipful  as  prayer,— 
And  be  they  doves  or  be  they  asps,— 
Must  seem  to  him  the  sovereignly  fair; 
Else  counts  he  soon  among  life's  wholly  tamed. 
Him  whom  from  utter  savage  she  reclaimed, 
Half  savage  must  he  stay,  would  he  be  crowned 
The  lover.     Else,  past  ripeness,  deathward  bound, 
He  reasons ;  and  the  totterer  Earth  detests, 
Love  shuns,  grim  logic  screws  in  grasp,  is  he. 
Doth  man  divide  divine  Necessity 
From  Joy,  between  the  Queen  of  Beauty's  breasts 
A  sword  is  driven;  for  those  most  glorious  twain 
Present  her ;  armed  to  bless  and  to  constrain. 

25 


A    READING    OF   LIFE 

Of  this  he  perishes ;  not  she,  the  throned 

On   rocks   that  spout   their   springs   to  the   sacred 

Mounts. 

A  loftier  Keason  out  of  deeper  founts 
Earth's  chosen  Goddess  bears :  by  none  disowned 
While  red  blood  runs  to  swell  the  pulse,  she 

boasts, 

And  Beauty,  like  her  star,  descends  the  sky; 
Earth's  answer,  heaven's  consent  unto  man's  cry, 
Uplifted  by  the  innumerable  hosts. 

Quickened  of  Nature's  eye  and  ear, 
"When  the  wild  sap  at  high  tide  smites 
Within  us;  or  benignly  clear 
To  vision;  or  as  the  iris  lights 
On  fluctuant  waters ;  she  is  ours 
Till  set  of  man :  the  dreamed,  the  seen ; 
Flushing  the  world  with  odorous  flowers: 
A  soft  compulsion  on  terrene 

26 


WITH    THE    PERSUADER 

By  heavenly :  and  the  world  is  hers 
While  hunger  after  Beauty  spurs. 

So  is  it  sung  in  any  space 
She  fills,  with  laugh  at  shallow  laws 
Forbidding  love's  devised  embrace, 
The  music  Beauty  from  it  draws. 


27 


A    BEADING    OF    LIFE 


THE  TEST  OF  MANHOOD 

LIKE  a  flood  river  whirled  at  rocky  banks, 

An  army  issues  out  of  wilderness, 

With  battle  plucking  round  its  ragged  flanks ; 

Obstruction  in  the  van ;  insane  excess 

Oft  at  the  heart ;  yet  hard  the  onward  stress 

Unto  more  spacious,  where  more  ordered  ranks, 

And  rise  hushed  temples  built  of  shapely  stone, 

The   work     of    hands    not    pledged    to    grind    or 

slay. 

They  gave  our  earth  a  dress  of  flesh  on  bone ; 
A   tongue   to   speak   with   answering   heaven   gave 

they. 

28 


THE    TEST    OF    MANHOOD 

Then  was  the  gracious  birth  of  man's  new  day ; 
Divided  from  the  haunted  night  it  shone. 

That  quiet  dawn  was  Keverence ;  whereof  sprang 
Ethereal  Beauty  in  full  morningtide. 
Another  sun  had  risen  to  clasp  his  bride : 
It  was  another  earth  unto  him  sang. 

Came    Reverence    from    the   Huntress    on    her 

heights  1 

From  the  Persuader  came  it,  in  those  vales 
Whereunto  she  melodiously  invites, 
Her  troops  of  eager  servitors  regales? 
Not  far  those  two  great  Powers  of  Nature  speed 
Disciple  steps  on  earth  when  sole  they  lead ; 
Nor  either  points  for  us  the  way  of  flame. 
From  him  predestined  mightier  it  came ; 
His  task  to  hold  them  both  in  breast,  and  yield 
Their  dues  to  each,  and  of  their  war  be  field. 

29 


A    READING    OF    LIFE 

The  foes  that  in  repulsion  never  ceased, 
Must  he,  who  once  has  been  the  goodly  beast 
Of  one  or  other,  at  whose  beck  he  ran, 
Constrain  to  make  him  serviceable  man ; 
Offending  neither,  nor  the  natural  claim 
Each  pressed,  denying,  for  his  true  man's  name. 

Ah,  what  a  sweat  of  anguish  in  that  strife 

To  hold  them  fast  conjoined  within  him  still  j 

Submissive  to  his  will 

Along  the  road  of  life ! 

And  marvel  not  he  wavered  if  at  whiles 

The    forward    step    met    frowns,    the    backward 

smiles. 

For  Pleasure  witched  him  her  sweet  cup  to  drain; 
Repentance  offered  ecstasy  in  pain. 
Delicious  licence  called  it  Nature's  cry; 
Ascetic  rigours  crushed  the  fleshly  sigh; 
A  tread  on  shingle  timed  his  lame  advance: 

30 


THE    TEST    OF    MANHOOD 

Flung  as  the  die  of  Bacchanalian  Chance, 
He  of  the  troubled  marching  army  leaned 
On  godhead  visible,  on  godhead  screened  j 
The  radiant  roseate,  the  curtained  white ; 
Yet  sharp  his  battle  strained  through  day,  through 
night. 

He  drank  of  fictions,  till  celestial  aid 

Might   seem    accorded    when    he    fawned    and 

prayed ; 

Sagely  the  generous  Giver  circumspect, 
To  choose  for  grants  the  egregious,  his  elect; 
And  ever  that  imagined  succour  slew 
The  soul  of  brotherhood  whence  Eeverence  drew. 

In  fellowship  religion  has  its  founts: 
The  solitary  his  own  God  reveres : 
Ascend  no  sacred  Mounts 
Our  hungers  or  our  fears. 

31 


A    READING    OF    LIFE 

As  only  for  the  numbers  Nature's  care 

Is  shown,  and  she  the  personal  nothing  heeds, 

So  to  Divinity  the  spring  of  prayer 

From  brotherhood  the  one  way  upward  leads. 

Like  the  sustaining  air 

Are  both  for  flowers  and  weeds. 

But  he  who  claims  in  spirit  to  be  flower, 

Will  find  them  both  an  air  that  doth  devour. 

Whereby  he  smelt  his  treason,  who  implored 
External  gifts  bestowed  but  on  the  sword ; 
Beheld  himself,  with  less  and  less  disguise, 
Through   those   blood-cataracts   which   dimmed    his 

eyes, 

His  army's  foe,  condemned  to  strive  and  fail ; 
See  a  black  adversary's  ghost  prevail ; 
Never,    though    triumphs    hailed  him,    hope    to 

win 

While  still  the  conflict  tore  his  breast  within. 

32 


THE    TEST    OF    MANHOOD 

Out  of  that  agony,  misread  for  those 
Imprisoned  Powers  warring  unappeased, 
The  ghost  of  his  black  adversary  rose, 
To    smother    light,    shut    heaven,    show    earth    dis- 
eased. 

And  long  with  him  was  wrestling  ere  emerged 
A  mind  to  read  in  him  the  reflex  shade 
Of  its  fierce  torment ;  this  way,  that  way  urged ; 
By  craven  compromises  hourly  swayed. 

Crouched  as  a  nestling,  still  its  wings  untried, 
The  man's  mind  opened  under  weight  of  cloud. 
To  penetrate  the  dark  was  it  endowed; 
Stood  day  before  a  vision  shooting  wide. 
Whereat  the  spectral  enemy  lost  form; 
The  traversed  wilderness  exposed  its  track. 
He  felt  the  far  advance  in  looking  back; 
Thence  trust  in  his  foot  forward  through  the  storm. 

33  D 


A    READING    OF    LIFE 

Under  the  low-browed  tempest's  eye  of  ire, 
That  ere  it  lightened  smote  a  coward  heart, 
Earth  nerved  her  chastened  son  to  hail  athwart 
All  ventures  perilous  his  shrouded  Sire ; 
A  stranger  still,  religiously  divined; 
Not  yet  with  understanding  read  aright. 
But  when  the  mind,  the  cherishable  mind, 
The  multitude's  grave  shepherd,  took  full  flight, 
Himself  as  mirror  raised  among  his  kind, 
He  saw,  and  first  of  brotherhood  had  sight : 
Knew  that  his  force  to  fly,  his  will  to  see, 
His  heart  enlarged  beyond  its  ribbed  domain, 
Had  come  of  many  a  grip  in  mastery, 
Which  held  conjoined  the  hostile  rival  twain, 
And  of  his  bosom  made  him  lord,  to  keep 
The  starry  roof  of  his  unruffled  frame 
Awake  to  earth,  to  heaven,  and  plumb  the  deep 
Below,  above,  aye  with  a  wistful  aim. 

34 


THE    TEST    OF   MA.NHOOD 

The  mastering  mind  in  him,  by  tempests  blown, 

By  traitor  inmates  baited,  upward  burned; 

Perforce  of  growth,  the  Master  Mind  discerned, 

The  Great  Unseen,  nowise  the  Dark  Unknown. 

To  whom  unwittingly  did  he  aspire 

In  wilderness,  where  bitter  was  his  need : 

To  whom  in  blindness,  as  an  earthy  seed 

For  light  and  air,  he  struck  through  crimson  mire. 

But  not  ere  he  upheld  a  forehead  lamp, 

And  viewed  an  army,  once  the  seeming  doomed, 

All  choral  in  its  fruitful  garden  camp, 

The  spiritual  the  palpable  illumed. 

This  gift  of  penetration  and  embrace, 
His  prize  from  tidal  battles  lost  or  won, 
Reveals  the  scheme  to  animate  his  race : 
How  that  it  is  a  warfare  but  begun; 
Unending;  with  no  Power  to  interpose; 

35 


A    READING    OF    LIFE 

No  prayer,  save  for  strength  to  keep  his  ground, 
Heard  of  the  Highest ;  never  battle's  close, 
The  victory  complete  and  victor  crowned : 
Nor  solace  in  defeat,  save  from  that  sense 
Of  strength  well  spent,  which  is  the  strength  re- 
newed. 

In  manhood  must  he  find  his  competence ; 
In  his  clear  mind  the  spiritual  food : 
God  being  there  while  he  his  fight  maintains ; 
Throughout  his  mind  the  Master  Mind  being  there, 
"While  he  rejects  the  suicide  despair; 
Accepts  the  spur  of  explicable  pains ; 
Obedient  to  Nature,  not  her  slave : 
Her  lord,  if  to  her  rigid  laws  he  bows  j 
Her  dust,  if  with  his  conscience  he  plays  knave, 
And  bids  the  Passions  on  the  Pleasures  browse  :— 
Whence  Evil  in  a  world  unread  before ; 
That  mystery  to  simple  springs  resolved. 
His  God  the  Known,  diviner  to  adore, 

36 


THE    TEST    OF    MANHOOD 

Shows  Nature's  savage  riddles  kindly  solved. 
Inconscient,  insensitive,  she  reigns 
In  iron  laws,  though  rapturous  fair  her  face. 
Back  to  the  primal  brute  shall  he  retrace 
His  path,  doth  he  permit  to  force  her  chains 
A  soft  Persuader  coursing  through  his  veins, 
An  icy  Huntress  stringing  to  the  chase : 
What  one  the  flash  disdains ; 
What  one  so  gives  it  grace. 

But  is  he  rightly  manful  in  her  eyes, 
A  splendid  bloodless  knight  to  gain  the  skies, 
A  blood-hot  son  of  Earth  by  all  her  signs, 
Desireing  and  desireable  he  shines ; 
As  peaches,  that  have  caught  the  sun's  uprise 
And  kissed  warm  gold  till  noonday,  even  as  vines. 
Earth  fills  him  with  her  juices,  without  fear 
That  she  will  cast  him  drunken  down  the  steeps. 
All  woman  is  she  to  this  man  most  dear; 

37 


A    READING    OF    LIFE 

He  sows  for  bread,  and  she  in  spirit  reaps : 

She  conscient,  she  sensitive,  in  him; 

With  him  enwound,  his  brave  ambition  hers : 

By  him  humaner  made ;  by  his  keen  spurs 

Pricked  to  race  past  the  pride  in  giant  limb, 

Her  crazy  adoration  of  big  thews, 

Proud  in  her  primal  sons,  when  crags  they  hurled, 

"Were  thunder  spitting  lightnings  on  the  world 

In  daily  deeds,  and  she  their  evening  Muse. 

This  man,  this  hero,  works  not  to  destroy; 
This  godlike— as  the  rock  in  ocean  stands;— 
He  of  the  myriad  eyes,  the  myriad  hands 
Creative ;  in  his  edifice  has  joy. 
How  strength  may  serve  for  purity  is  shown 
When  he  himself  can  scourge  to  make  it  clean. 
Withal  his  pitch  of  pride  would  not  disown 
A  sober  world  that  walks  the  balanced  mean 
Between  its  tempters,  rarely  overthrown : 

38 


THE    TEST    OF    MANHOOD 

t 
And  such  at  times  his  army's  march  has  been. 


Near  is  he  to  great  Nature  in  the  thought 

Each  changing  Season  intimately  saith, 

That  nought  save  apparition  knows  the  death; 

To  the  God-lighted  mind  of  man  'tis  nought. 

She  counts  not  loss  a  word  of  any  weight ; 

It  may  befal  his  passions  and  his  greeds 

To  lose  their  treasures,  like  the  vein  that  bleeds, 

But  life  gone  breathless  will  she  reinstate. 

Close  on  the  heart  of  Earth  his  bosom  beats, 
When  he  the  mandate  lodged  in  it  obeys, 
Alive  to  breast  a  future  wrapped  in  haze, 
Strike   camp,  and   onward,   like   the   wind's   cloud- 
fleets. 

Unresting  she,  unresting  he,  from  change 
To  change,  as  rain  of  cloud,  as  fruit  of  rain ; 
She  feels  her  blood-tree  throbbing  in  her  grain, 

39 


A    READING    OF    LIFE 

Yet    skyward    branched,    with    loftier    mark    and 
range. 

No  miracle  the  sprout  of  wheat  from  clod, 

She  knows,  nor  growth  of  man  in  grisly  brute ; 

But  he,  the  flower  at  head  and  soil  at  root, 

Is  miracle,  guides  he  the  brute  to  God. 

And  that  way  seems  he  bound;  that  way  the  road, 

With  his  dark -lantern  mind,  unled,  alone; 

"Wearifully  through  forest-tracts  unsown, 

He  travels,  urged  by  some  internal  goad. 

Dares  he  behold  the  thing  he  is,  what  thing 
He  would  become  is  in  his  mind  its  child ; 
Astir,  demanding  birth  to  light  and  wing; 
For  battle  prompt,  by  pleasure  unbeguiled. 
So  moves  he  forth  in  faith,  if  he  has  made 
His  mind  God's  temple,  dedicate  to  truth. 
Earth's  nourishing  delights,  no  more  gainsaid, 

40 


THE    TEST    OF    MANHOOD 

He  tastes,  as  doth  the  bridegroom  rich  in  youth. 
Then  knows  he  Love,  that  beckons  and  controls ; 
The  star  of  sky  upon  his  footway  cast ; 
Then  match  in  him  who  holds  his  tempters  fast, 
The  body's  love  and  mind's,  whereof  the  soul's. 
Then  Earth  her  man  for  woman  finds  at  last, 
To  speed  the  pair  unto  her  goal  of  goals. 

Or  is't  the  widowed's  dream  of  her  new  mate* 
Seen  has  she  virulent  days  of  heat  in  flood ; 
The  sly  Persuader  snaky  in  his  blood; 
"With  her  the  barren  Huntress  alternate ; 
His  rough  refractory  off  on  kicking  heels 
To  rear ;  the  man  dragged  rearward,  shamed, 

amazed ; 

And  as  a  torrent  stream  where  cattle  grazed, 
His  tumbled  world.     What,  then,  the  faith  she 

feels? 

May  not  his  aspect,  like  her  own  so  fair 

41 


A    READING    OF    LIFE 

Keflexively,  the  central  force  belie, 

And  he,  the  once  wild  ocean  storming  sky, 

Be  rebel  at  the  core?    What  hope  is  there? 

'Tis  that  in  each  recovery  he  preserves, 
Between  his  upper  and  his  nether  wit, 
Sense  of  his  march  ahead,  more  brightly  lit ; 
He  less  the  shaken  thing  of  lusts  and  nerves ; 
With  such  a  grasp  upon  his  brute  as  tells 
Of  wisdom  from  that  vile  relapsing  spun. 
A  Sun  goes  down  in  wasted  fire,  a  Sun 
Resplendent  springs,  to  faith  refreshed  compels. 


42 


43 


44 


A    READING    OF    LIFE 


THE  CAGEING  OF  ARES 

IUAD,  B.  v.  V.  385 
[DEDICATED  TO  THE  COUNCIL,  AT  THE  HAGUE.] 

How  big  of  breast  our  Mother  Gaea  laughed 
At  sight  of  her  boy  Giants  on  the  leap 
Each  over  other  as  they  neighboured  home, 
Fronting  the  day's  descent  across  green  slopes, 
And  up  fired  mountain  crags  their  shadows 

danced. 
Close  with  them   in  their  fun,  she  scarce  could 

guess, 

Though  these  two  billowy  urchins  reeked  of  craft, 

45 


A    READING    OF    LIFE 

It  signalled  some  adventurous  master-trick 
To  set  Olympians  buzzing  in  debate, 
Lest  it  might  be  their  godhead  undermined, 
The  Tyranny  menaced.     Ephialtes  high 
On  shoulders  of  his  brother  Otos  waved 
For  the  bull-bellowings  given  to  grand  good  news, 
Compact,  complexioned  in  his  gleeful  roar; 
"While  Otos  aped  the  prisoner's  wrists  and  knees, 
With  doleful  snifls  between  recurrent  howls, 
Till  Gaea's  lap  receiving  them,  they  stretched, 
And  both  upon  her  bosom  shaken  to  speech, 
Burst  the  hot  story  out  of  throats  of  both, 
Like  rocky  head-founts,  baffling  in  their  glut 
The  hurried  spout.     And  as  when  drifting  storm 
Disburdened  loses  clasp  of  here  and  yon 
A  peak,  a  forest  mound,  a  valley's  gleam 
Of  grass  and  the  river's  crooks  and  snaky  coils, 
Signification  marvellous  she  caught, 
Through  gurglings  of  triumphant  jollity, 

46 


THE    CAGEING    OF   ARES 

Which  now  engulphed  and  now  gave  eye ;  at  last 
Subsided,  and  the  serious  naked  deed, 
With  mountain-cloud  of  laughter  banked  around, 
Stood  in  her  sight  confirmed :  she  could  believe 
That  these,  her  sprouts    of  promise,  her  most 

prized, 

These  two  made  up  of  lion,  bear  and  fox, 
Her  sportive,  suckling  mammoths,  her  young  joy, 
Still  by  the  reckoning  infants  among  men, 
Had  done  the  deed  to  strike  the  Titan  host 
In  envy  dumb,  in  envious  heart  elate : 
These  two  combining  strength  and  craft   had 

snared, 
Enmeshed,  bound  fast  with  thongs,  discreetly 

caged 

The  blood-shedder,  the  terrible  Lord  of  War; 
Destroyer,  ravager,  superb  in  plumes ; 
The  barren  furrower  of  anointed  fields ; 
The  scarlet  heel  in  towns,  foul  smoke  to  sky, 

47 


A    READING    OF    LIFE 

Her  hated  enemy,  too  long  her  scourge : 
Great  Ares.     And  they  gagged  his  trumpet  mouth 
When  they  had  seized  on  his  implacable  spear, 
Hugged  him  to  reedy  helplessness  despite 
His  godlike  fury  startled  from  amaze. 
For  he  had  eyed  them  nearing  him  in  play, 
The  giant  cubs,  who  gambolled  and  who  snarled, 
Unheeding  his  fell  presence,  by  the  mount 
Ossa,  beside  a  brushwood  cavern;  there 
On  Earth's  original  fisticuffs  they  called 
For  ease  of  sharp  dispute :  whereat  the  God, 
Approving,  deemed  that  sometime  trained  to  arms, 
Good  servitors  of  Ares  they  would  be, 
And  ply  the  pointed  spear  to  dominate 
Their  rebel  restless  fellows,  villain  brood 
Vowed  to  defy  Immortals.     So  it  chanced 
Amusedly  he  watched  them,  and  as  one 
The  lusty  twain  were  on  him  and  they  had  him. 
Breath  to  us,  Powers  of  air,  for  laughter  loud ! 

48 


THE    CAGEING    OF    ARES 

Cock  of  Olympus  he,  superb  in  plumes ! 
Bound  like  a  wheaten  sheaf  by  those  two  babes ! 
Because  they  knew  our  Mother  Gaea  loathed  him, 
Knew  him  the  famine,  pestilence  and  waste; 
A  desolating  fire  to  blind  the  sight 
With  splendour  built  of  fruitful  things  in  ashes ; 
The  gory  chariot- wheel  on  cries  for  justice ; 
Her  deepest  planted  and  her  liveliest  voice, 
Heard  from  the  babe  as  from  the  broken  crone. 
Behold  him  in  his  vessel  of  bronze  encased, 
And  tumbled  down  the  cave.     But  rather  look— 
Ah,  that  the  woman  tattler  had  not  sought, 
Of  all  the  Gods  to  let  her  secret  fly, 
Hermes,  after  the  thirteen  songful  months ! 
Prompting  the  Dexterous  to  work  his  arts, 
And  shatter  earth's  delirious  holiday, 
Then  first,  as  where  the  fountain  runs  a  stream, 
Kesolving  to  composure  on  its  throbs. 
But  see  her  in  the  Seasons  through  that  year ; 

49  E 


A    READING    OF    LIFE 

That  one  glad  year  and  the  fair  opening  month. 
Had  never  our  Great  Mother  snch  sweet  face ! 
"War  with  her,  gentle  war  with  her,  each  day 
Her  sons  and  daughters  urged ;  at  eve  were  flung, 
On  the  morrow  stood  to   challenge ;    in  their 

strength 

Kenewed,  indomitable ;  whereof  they  won, 
From  hourly  wrestlings  up  to  shut  of  lids, 
Her  ready  secret :  the  abounding  life 
Keturned  for  valiant  labour :  she  and  they 
Defeated  and  victorious  turn  by  turn ; 
By  loss  enriched,  by  overthrow  restored. 
Exchange  of  powers  of  this  conflict  came ; 
Defacement  none,  nor  ever  squandered  force. 
Is  battle  nature's  mandate,  here  it  reigned, 
As  music  unto  the  hand  that  smote  the  strings ; 
And  she  the  rosier  from  their  showery  brows, 
They  fruitful  from  her  ploughed  and  harrowed 

breast. 

50 


THE    CAGEING    OF    ARES 

Back  to  the  primal  rational  of  those 
Who  suck  the  teats  of  milky  earth,  and  clasp 
Stability  in  hatred  of  the  insane, 
Man  stepped ;  with  wits  less  fearful  to  pronounce 
The  mortal  mind's  concept  of  earth's  divorced 
Above  5  those  beautiful,  those  masterful, 
Those  lawless.     High  they  sit,  and  if  descend, 
Descend  to  reap,  not  sowing.     Is  it  just? 
Earth  in  her  happy  children  asked  that  word, 
"Whereto  within  their  breast  was  her  reply. 
Those  beautiful,  those  masterful,  those  lawless, 
Enjoy  the  life  prolonged,  outleap  the  years ; 
Yet  they  ('twas  the  Great  Mother's  voice  inspired 
The  audacious  thought),  they,  glorious  over  dust, 
Outleap  not  her;  disrooted  from  her  soar, 
To  meet  the  certain  fate  of  earth's  divorced, 
And  clap  lame  wings  across  a  wintry  haze, 
Up  to  the  farthest  bourne :  immortal  still, 
Thenceforth  innocuous ;  lovelier  than  when  ruled 

51 


A    READING    OF   LIFE 

The  Tyranny.     This  her  voice  within  them  told, 
When  softly  the  Great  Mother  chid  her  sons 
Not  of  the  giant  brood,  who  did  create 
Those  lawless  Gods,  first  offspring  of  our  brain 
Set  moving  by  an  abject  blood,  that  waked 
To  wanton  under  elements  more  benign, 
And  planted  aliens  on  Olympian  heights;— 
Imagination's  cradle  poesy 
Become  a  monstrous  pressure  upon  men  ;•— 
Foes  of  good  Gaea ;  until  dispossessed 
By  light  from  her,  born  of  the  love  of  her, 
Their  lordship  the  illumined  brain  rejects 
For  earth's  beneficent,  the  sons  of  Law, 
Her  other  name.     So  spake  she  in  their  heart, 
Among  the  wheat-blades  proud  of  stalk ;  beneath 
Young  vine-leaves  pushing  timid  fingers  forth, 
Confidently  to  cling.    And  when  brown  corn 
Swayed  armied  ranks  with  softened  cricket  song, 
With  gold  necks  bent  for  any  zephyr's  kiss; 

52 


THE    CAGEING    OF    ARES 

When  vine-roots  daily  down  a  rubble  soil 
Drank  fire  of  heaven  athirst  to  swell  the  grape ; 
When  swelled  the  grape,  and  in  it  held  a  ray, 
Rich  issue  of  the  embrace  of  heaven  and  earth ; 
The  very  eye  of  passion  drowsed  by  excess, 
And  yet  a  burning  lion  for  the  spring; 
Then  in  that  time  of  general  cherishment, 
Sweet  breathing  balm  and  flutes  by  cool  wood- 
side, 

He  the  harsh  rouser  of  ire  being  absent,  caged, 
Then  did  good  Gaea's  children  gratefully 
Lift   hymns   to   Gods  they  judged,  but  praised  for 

peace, 

Delightful  Peace,  that  answers  Reason's  call 
Harmoniously  and  images  her  Law ; 
Reflects,  and  though  short-lived  as  then,  revives, 
In  memories  made  present  on  the  brain 
By  natural  yearnings,  all  the  happy  scenes ; 
The  picture  of  an  earth  allied  to  heaven ; 

63 


A    BEADING    OF    LIFE 

Between  them  the  known  smile  behind  black 

masks ; 

Eightly  their  various  moods  interpreted; 
And  frolic  because  toilful  children  borne 
"With  larger  comprehension  of  Earth's  aim 
At  loftier,  clearer,  sweeter,  by  their  aid. 


54 


A    BEADING    OF    LIFE 


THE  NIGHT-WALK 

AWAKES  for  me  and  leaps  from  shroud 
All  radiantly  the  moon's  own  night 
Of  folded  showers  in  streamer  cloud ; 
Our  shadows  down  the  highway  white, 
Or  deep  in  woodland  woven-boughed, 
With  yon  and  yon  a  stem  alight. 

I  see  marauder  runagates 
Across  us  shoot  their  dusky  winkj 
I  hear  the  parliament  of  chats 
In  haws  beside  the  river's  brink ; 
55 


A    EEADING    OF    LIFE 

And  drops  the  vole  off  alder-banks, 
To  push  his  arrow  through  the  stream. 
These  busy  people  had  our  thanks 
For  tickling  sight  and  sound,  but  theme 
They  were  not  more  than  breath  we  drew 
Delighted  with  our  world's  embrace : 
The  moss-root  smell  where  beeches  grew, 
And  watered  grass  in  breezy  space; 
The  silken  heights,  of  ghostly  bloom 
Among  their  folds,  by  distance  draped. 
'Twas  Youth,  rapacious  to  consume, 
That  cried  to  have  its  chaos  shaped : 
Absorbing,  little  noting,  still 
Enriched,  and  thinking  it  bestowed; 
With  wistful  looks  on  each  far  hill 
For  something  hidden,  something  owed. 
Unto  his  mantled  sister,  Day 
Had  given  the  secret  things  we  sought; 
And  she  was  grave  and  saintly  gay; 
56 


THE    NIGHT-WALK 

At  times  she  fluttered,  spoke  her  thought; 
She  flew  on  it,  then  folded  wings, 
In  meditation  passing  lone, 
To  breathe  around  the  secret  things, 
Which  have  no  word,  and  yet  are  known; 
Of  thirst  for  them  are  known,  as  air 
Is  health  in  blood :  we  gained  enough 
By  this  to  feel  it  honest  fare; 
Impalpable,  not  barren,  stuff. 


A  pride  of  legs  in  motion  kept 
Our  spirits  to  their  task  meanwhile, 
And  what  was  deepest  dreaming  slept: 
The  posts  that  named  the  swallowed  mile; 
Beside  the  straight  canal  the  hut 
Abandoned;  near  the  river's  source 
Its  infant  chirp ;  the  shortest  cut ; 
The  roadway  missed ;  were  our  discourse ; 
57 


A    READING    OF    LIFE 

At  times  dear  poets,  whom  some  view 

Transcendent  or  subdued  evoked 

To  speak  the  memorable,  the  true, 

The  luminous  as  a  moon  uncloaked ; 

For  proof  that  there,  among  earth's  dumb, 

A  soul  had  passed  and  said  our  best. 

Or  it  might  be  we  chimed  on  some 

Historic  favourite's  astral  crest, 

With  part  to  reverence  in  its  gleam, 

And  part  to  rivalry  the  shout: 

So  royal,  unuttered,  is  youth's  dream 

Of  power  within  to  strike  without. 

But  most  the  silences  were  sweet, 

Like  mothers'  breasts,  to  bid  it  feel 

It  lived  in  such  divine  conceit 

As  envies  aught  we  stamp  for  real. 

To  either  then  an  untold  tale 
"Was  Life,  and  author,  hero,  we. 

58 


THE    NIGHT- WALK 

The  chapters  holding  peaks  to  scale, 
Or  depths  to  fathom,  made  our  glee ; 
For  we  were  armed  of  inner  fires, 
Unbled  in  us  the  ripe  desires; 
And  passion  rolled  a  quiet  sea, 
Whereon  was  Love  the  phantom  sail. 


59 


A    READING    OF    LIFE 


THE  HUELESS  LOVE 

UNTO  that  love  must  we  through  fire  attain, 

Which  those  two  held  as  breath  of  common  air; 
The  hands  of  whom  were  given  in  bond  else- 
where ; 

Whom  Honour  was  untroubled  to  restrain. 

Midway  the  road  of  our  life's  term  they  met, 
And  one  another  knew  without  surprise  j 
Nor  cared  that  beauty  stood  in  mutual  eyes ; 

Nor  at  their  tardy  meeting  nursed  regret. 

60 


THE    HUELESS    LOVE 

To  them  it  was  revealed  how  they  had  found 
The  kindred  nature  and  the  needed  mind; 
The  mate  by  long  conspiracy  designed; 

The  flower  to  plant  in  sanctuary  ground. 

Avowed  in  vigilant  solicitude 
For  either,  what  most  lived  within  each  breast 
They  let  be  seen:  yet  every  human  test 

Demanding  righteousness  approved  them  good. 

She  leaned  on  a  strong  arm,  and  little  feared 
Abandonment  to  help  if  heaved  or  sank 
Her  heart  at  intervals  while  Love  looked  blank, 

Life  rosier  were  she  but  less  revered. 

An  arm  that  never  shook  did  not  obscure 
Her  woman's  intuition  of  the  bliss— 
Their  tempter's  moment  o'er  the  black  abyss, 

Across  the  narrow  plank— he  could  abjure. 

61 


A    READING    OF    LIFE 

Then  came  a  day  that  clipped  for  him  the  thread, 
And  their  first  touch  of  lips,  as  he  lay  cold, 
Was  all  of  earthly  in  their  love  untold, 

Beyond  all  earthly  known  to  them  who  wed. 

So  has  there  come  the  gust  at  South-west  flung 
By  sudden  volt  on  eves  of  freezing  mist, 
When  sister  snowflake  sister  snowdrop  kissed, 

And  one  passed  out,  and  one  the  bell-head  hung. 


62 


A    BEADING    OF    LIFE 


SONG  IN  THE  SONGLESS 

THEY  have  no  song,  the  sedges  dry, 

And  still  they  sing. 
It  is  within  my  breast  they  sing, 

As  I  pass  by. 
Within  my  breast  they  touch  a  string, 

They  wake  a  sigh. 
There  is  but  sound  of  sedges  dry ; 

In  me  they  sing. 


63 


A    BEADING    OF    LIFE 

UNION  IN  DISSEVEKANCE 

SUNSET  worn  to  its  last  vermilion  he ; 
She  that  star  overhead  in  slow  descent : 
That  white  star  with  the  front  of  angel  she ; 
He  undone  in  his  rays  of  glory  spent. 

Halo,  fair  as  the  bow-shot  at  his  rise, 
He  casts  round  her,  and  knows  his  hour  of  rest 
Incomplete,  were  the  light  for  which  he  dies, 
Less  like  joy  of  the  dove  that  wings  to  nest. 

Lustrous  momently,  near  on  earth  she  sinks ; 
Life's  full  throb  over  breathless  and  abased : 
Yet  stand  they,  though  impalpable  the  links, 
One,  more  one  than  the  bridally  embraced. 


64 


A    READING    OF    LIFE 


THE  BURDEN  OF  STRENGTH 

IF  that  thou  hast  the  gift  of  strength,  then  know 

Thy  part  is  to  uplift  the  trodden  low; 

Else  in  a  giant's  grasp  until  the  end 

A  hopeless  wrestler  shall  thy  soul  contend. 


65 


A    BEADING    OF    LIFE 


THE  MAIN  REGRET 


SEEN,  too  clear  and  historic  within  us,  our  sins  of 

omission 

Frown  when  the  Autumn  days  strip  men  ruth- 
lessly bare. 
They  of  our  mortal  diseases  find  never  healing 

physician ; 

Errors  they  of  the  soul,  past  all  hope  to 
repair. 

II 

Sunshine  might  we  have   been  unto  seed  under 

soil,  or  have  scattered 

Seed  to  ascendant  suns  brighter  than  any  that 
shone. 

66 


THE    MAIN    REGRET 

Even  the  limp-legged  beggar  a  sick  desperado 

has  flattered 

Back  to  acceptance  of  life  cheered  by  the  mere 
human  tone. 


67 


A    READING    OF    LIFE 


ALTERNATION 

BETWEEN  the  fountain  and  the  rill 
I  passed,  and  saw  the  mighty  will 
To  leap  at  sky ;  the  careless  run, 
As  earth  would  lead  her  little  son. 

Beneath  them  throbs  an  urgent  will, 
That  here  is  play,  and  there  is  war. 
I  know  not  which  had  most  to  tell 
Of  whence  we  spring  and  what  we  are. 


68 


A    READING    OF    LIFE 


HAWARDEN 

WHEN  comes  the  lighted  day  for  men  to  read 
Life's  meaning,  with  the  work  before  their  hands 
Till  this  good  gift  of  breath  from  debt  is  freed, 
Earth  will  not  hear  her  children's  wailful  bands 
Deplore  the  chieftain  fall'n  in  sob  and  dirge ; 
Nor  they  look  where  is  darkness,  but  on  high. 
The  sun  that  dropped  down  our  horizon's  verge, 
Illumes  his  labours  through  the  travelled  sky, 
Now  seen  in  sum,  most  glorious ;  and  'tis  known 
By  what  our  warrior  wrought  we  hold  him  fast. 
A  splendid  image  built  of  man  has  flown ; 
His  deeds  inspired  of  God  outstep  a  Past. 
Ours  the  great  privilege  to  have  had  one 
Among  us  who  celestial  tasks  has  done. 


69 


A    READING    OF    LIFE 
AT    THE    CLOSE 

X 

To  Thee,  dear  God  of  Mercy,  both  appeal, 
Who  straightway  sound  the  call  to  arms.     Thou 

know'st ; 

And  that  black  spot  in  each  embattled  host, 
Spring  of  the  blood-stream,  later  wilt  reveal. 
Now  is  it  red  artillery  and  white  steel ; 
Till  on  a  day  will  ring  the  victor's  boast, 
That  'tis  Thy  chosen  towers  uppermost, 
Where  Thy  rejected  grovels  under  heel. 
So  in  all  times  of  man's  descent  insane 
To  brute,  did  strength  and  craft  combining  strike, 
Even  as  a  God  of  Armies,  his  fell  blow. 
But  at  the  close  he  entered  Thy  domain, 
Dear  God  of  Mercy,  and  if  lion-like 
He  tore  the  fall'n,  the  Eternal  was  his  Foe. 


70 


A    READING    OF    LIFE 


FOREST    HISTORY 


BENEATH  the  vans  of  doom  did  men  pass  in. 
Heroic  who  came  out;  for  round  them  hung 
A  wavering  phantom's  red  volcano  tongue, 

With  league-long  lizard  tail  and  fishy  fin: 


n 

Old  Earth's  original  Dragon ;  there  retired 
To  his  last  fastness ;  overthrown  by  few. 
Him  a  laborious  thrust  of  roadway  slew. 

Then  man  to  play  devorant  straight 'was  fired. 

71 


A    READING    OF    LIFE 
III 

More  intimate  became  the  forest  fear, 

While  pillared  darkness  hatched  malicious  life 
At  either  elbow,  wolf  or  gnome  or  knife ; 

And  wary  slid  the  glance  from  ear  to  ear. 


ry 

In  chillness,  like  a  clouded  lantern-ray, 
The  forest's  heart  of  fog  on  mossed  morass, 
On  purple  pool  and  silky  cotton-grass, 

Kevealed  where  lured  the  swallower  byway. 


Dead  outlook,  flattened  back  with  hard  rebound 
Off  walls  of  distance,  left  each  mounted  height. 
It  seemed  a  giant  hag-fiend,  churning  spite 

Of  humble  human  being,  held  the  ground. 

72 


FOREST    HISTORY 

VI 
Through  friendless  wastes,  through   treacherous 

woodland,  slow 

The  feet  sustained  by  track  of  feet  pursued 
Pained  steps,  and  found  the  common  brotherhood 
By  sign  of  Heaven  indifferent,  Nature  foe. 

VII 

Anon  a  mason's  work  amazed  the  sight, 

And  long-frocked  men,  called  Brothers,  there 

abode. 
They  pointed  up,  bowed  head,  and  dug  and  sowed ; 

Whereof  was  shelter,  loaf,  and  warm  firelight. 

VIII 

"What  words  they  taught  were  nails  to  scratch 

the  head. 

Benignant  works  explained  the  chanting  brood. 
Their  monastery  lit  black  solitude, 
As  one  might  think  a  star  that  heavenward  led. 

73 


A    READING    OF    LIFE 

IX 

Uprose  a  fairer  nest  for  weary  feet, 

Like  some  gold  flower  nightly  inward  curled, 
Where  gentle  maidens  fled  a  roaring  world, 

Or  played  with  it,  and  had  their  white  retreat. 

x 

Into  big  books  of  metal  clasps  they  pored. 

They  governed,  even  as  men ;  they  welcomed 
lays. 

The  treasures  women  are  whose  aim  is  praise, 
Was  shown  in  them :  the  Garden  half  restored. 


XI 

A  deluge  billow  scoured  the  land  off  seas, 
With  widened  jaws,  and  slaughter  was  its  foam. 
For  food,  for  clothing,  ambush,  refuge,  home, 

The  lesser  savage  offered  bogs  and  trees. 

74 


FOREST    HISTORY 
XII 

Whence  reverence  round  grey-haired  story  grew ; 
And  inmost  spots  of  ancient  horror  shone 
As  temples  under  beams  of  trials  bygone ; 

For  in  them  sang  brave  times  with  God  in  view. 

XIII 

Till  now  trim  homesteads  bordered  spaces  green, 
Like  night's  first  little  stars  through  clearing 

showers. 
Was  rumoured  how  a  castle's  falcon  towers 

The  wilderness  commanded  with  fierce  mien. 

XIV 

Therein  a  serious  Baron  stuck  his  lance ; 
For  minstrel  songs  a  beauteous  Dame  would 

pout. 

Gay  knights  and  sombre,  felon  or  devout, 
Pricked  onward,  bound  for  their  unsung  romance. 

75 


A    READING    OF    LIFE 
XV 

It  might  be  that  two  errant  lords  across 

The  block  of  each  came  edged,  and  at  sharp 

cry 
They  charged  forthwith,  the  better  man  to  try. 

One  rode  his  way,  one  couched  on  quiet  moss. 

XVI 

Perchance  a  lady  sweet,  whose  lord  lay  slain, 
The  robbers  into  gruesome  durance  drew. 
Swift  should  her  hero  come,  like  lightning's 
blue ! 

She  prayed  for  him,  as  crackling  drought  for  rain. 

XVII 

As  we,  that  ere  the  worst  her  hero  haps, 
Of  Angels  guided,  nigh  that  loathly  den : 
A  toady  cave  beside  an  ague  fen, 

Where  long  forlorn  the  lone  dog  whines  and  yaps. 

76 


FOREST    HISTORY 

XVIII 

By  daylight  now  the  forest  fear  could  read 
Itself,  and  at  new  wonders  chuckling  went. 
Straight  for  the  roebuck's  neck  the  bowman 

spent 
A  dart  that  laughed  at  distance  and  at  speed. 

XIX 

Eight  loud  the  bugle's  hallali  elate 

Kang  forth  of  merry  dingles  round  the  tors ; 
And  deftest  hand  was  he  from  foreign  wars, 

But  soon  he  hailed  the  home-bred  yeoman  mate. 

xx 

Before  the  blackbird  pecked  the  turf  they  woke ; 

At  dawn  the  deer's  wet  nostrils  blew  their  last. 

To  forest,  haunt  of  runs  and  prime  repast, 
With  paying  blows,  the  yokel  strained  his  yoke. 

77 


A    READING    OF    LIFE 
XXI 

The  city  urchin  mooned  on  forest  air, 
On  grassy  sweeps  and  flying  arrows,  thick 
As  swallows  o'er  smooth  streams,  and  sighed 
him  sick 

For  thinking  that  his  dearer  home  was  there. 

XXII 

Familiar,  still  unseized,  the  forest  sprang 
An  old-world  echo,  like  no  mortal  thing. 
The  hunter's  horn  might  wind  a  jocund  ring, 

But  held  in  ear  it  had  a  chilly  clang. 

XXIII 

Some  shadow  lurked  aloof  of  ancient  time ; 
Some  warning  haunted  any  sound  prolonged, 
As  though  the  leagues  of  woodland  held  them 

wronged 

To  hear  an  axe  and  see  a  township  climb. 

78 


FOREST    HISTORY 

XXIV 

The  forest's  erewhile  emperor  at  eve 
Had  voice  when  lowered  heavens  drummed  for 

gales. 

At  midnight  a  small  people  danced  the  dales, 
So  thin  that  they  might  dwindle  through  a  sieve. 

XXV 

Kinged  mushrooms  told  of  them,  and  in  their 

throats, 
Old  wives  that  gathered  herbs  and  knew  too 

much. 

The  pensioned  forester  beside  his  crutch, 
Struck  showers  from  embers  at  those  bodeful  notes. 

XXVI 

Came  then  the  one,  all  ear,  all  eye,  all  heart; 

Devourer,  and  insensibly  devoured ; 

In  whom  the  city  over  forest  flowered, 
The  forest  wreathed  the  city's  drama-mart. 

79 


A    READING    OF    LIFE 

XXVII 

There  found  he  in  new  form  that  Dragon  old, 
From  tangled  solitudes  expelled ;  and  taught 
How  blindly  each  its  antidote  besought ; 

For  cither's  breath  the  needs  of  either  told. 

XXVIII 

Now  deep  in  woods,  with  song  no  sermon's  drone, 
He  showed  what  charm  the  human  concourse 

works : 
Amid  the  press  of  men,  what  virtue  lurks 

Where  bubble  sacred  wells  of  wildness  lone. 

XXIX 

Our  conquest  these :  if  haply  we  retain 
The  reverence  that  ne'er  will  overrun 
Due  boundaries  of  realms  from  Nature  won, 

Nor  let  the  poet's  awe  in  rapture  wane. 

80 


A    READING    OF    LIFE 


A  GAKDEN  IDYL 

WITH  sagest  craft  Arachne  worked 
Her  web,  and  at  a  corner  lurked, 
Awaiting  what  should  plump  her  soon, 
To  case  it  in  the  death-cocoon. 
Sagaciously  her  home  she  chose 
For  visits  that  would  never  close ; 
Inside  my  chalet-porch  her  feast 
Plucked  all  the  winds  but  chill  Northeast. 

The  finished  structure,  bar  on  bar, 
Had  snatched  from  light  to  form  a  star, 
And  struck  on  sight,  when  quick  with  dews, 
Like  music  of  the  very  Muse. 

81  o 


A    EEADING    OF    LIFE 

Great  artists  pass  our  single  sense ; 
We  hear  in  seeing,  strung  to  tense ; 
Then  haply  marvel,  groan  mayhap, 
To  think  such  beauty  means  a  trap. 
But  Nature's  genius,  even  man's 
At  best,  is  practical  in  plans ; 
Subservient  to  the  needy  thought, 
However  rare  the  weapon  wrought. 
As  long  as  Nature  holds  it  good 
To  urge  her  creatures'  quest  for  food, 
Will  beauty  stamp  the  just  intent 
Of  weapons  upon  service  bent. 
For  beauty  is  a  flower  of  roots 
Embedded  lower  than  our  boots ; 
Out  of  the  primal  strata  springs, 
And  shows  for  crown  of  useful  things. 

Arachne's  dream  of  prey  to  size 
Aspired ;  so  she  could  nigh  despise 
82 


A    GARDEN    IDYL 

The  puny  specks  the  breezes  round 
Supplied,  and  let  them  shake  unwound ; 
Assured  of  her  fat  fly  to  come ; 
Perhaps  a  blue,  the  spider's  plum; 
Who  takes  the  fatal  odds  in  fight, 
And  gives  repast  an  appetite, 
By  plunging,  whizzing,  till  his  wings 
Are  webbed,  and  in  the  lists  he  swings, 
A  shrouded  lump,  for  her  to  see 
Her  banquet  in  her  victory. 

This  matron  of  the  unnumbered  threads, 
One  day  of  dandelions'  heads 
Distributing  their  grey  perruques 
Up  every  gust,  I  watched  with  looks 
Discreet  beside  the  chalet-door; 
And  gracefully  a  light  wind  bore, 
Direct  upon  my  Webster's  wall, 
A  monster  in  the  form  of  ball ; 
83 


A    READING    OF    LIFE 

The  mildest  captive  ever  snared, 
That  neither  struggled  nor  despaired, 
On  half  the  net  invading  hung, 
And  plain  as  in  her  mother  tongue, 
While  low  the  weaver  cursed  her  lures, 
Eemarked,  "You  have  me ;  I  am  yours." 

Thrice  magnified,  in  phantom  shape, 
Her  dream  of  size  she  saw,  agape. 
Midway  the  vast  round-raying  beard 
A  desiccated  midge  appeared ; 
Whose  body  pricked  the  name  of  meal, 
Whose  hair  had  growth  in  earth's  unreal ; 
Provocative  of  dread  and  wrath, 
Contempt  and  horror,  in  one  froth, 
Inextricable,  insensible, 
His  poison  presence  there  would  dwell, 
Declaring  him  her  dream  fulfilled, 
A  catch  to  compliment  the  skilled; 
84 


A    GARDEN    IDYL 

And  she  reduced  to  beaky  skin, 
Disgraceful  among  kith  and  kin. 

Against  her  corner,  humped  and  aged, 
Arachne  wrinkled,  past  enraged, 
Beyond  disgust  or  hope  in  guile. 
Ridiculously  volatile 
He  seemed  to  her  last  spark  of  mind ; 
And  that  in  pallid  ash  declined 
Beneath  the  blow  by  knowledge  dealt, 
Wherein  throughout  her  frame  she  felt 
That  he,  the  light  wind's  libertine, 
Without  a  scoff,  without  a  grin, 
And  mannered  like  the  courtly  few, 
Who  merely  danced  when  light  winds  blew, 
Impervious  to  beak  and  claws, 
Tradition's  ruinous  Whitebeard  was; 
Of  whom,  as  actors  in  old  scenes, 
Had  grannam  weavers  warned  their  weans, 
85 


A    READING    OF    LIFE 

With  word,  that  less  than  feather-weight, 
He  smote  the  web  like  bolt  of  Fate. 


This  muted  drama,  hour  by  hour, 

I  watched  amid  a  world  in  flower, 

Ere  yet  Autumnal  threads  had  laid 

Their  grey-blue  o'er  the  grass's  blade, 

And  still  along  the  garden-run 

The  blindworm  stretched  him,  drunk  of 

sun. 

Arachne  crouched  unmoved ;  perchance 
Her  visitor  performed  a  dance ; 
She  puckered  thinner;  he  the  same 
As  when  on  that  light  wind  he  came. 


Next  day  was  told  what  deeds  of  night 
Were  done ;  the  web  had  vanished  quite ; 
86 


A    GARDEN    IDYL 

With  it  the  strange  opposing  pair ; 
And  listless  waved  on  vacant  air, 
For  her  adieu  to  heart's  content, 
A  solitary  filament. 


87 


A    READING    OF    LIFE 


FORESIGHT  AND  PATIENCE 

SPRUNG  of  the  father  blood,  the  mother  brain, 
Are  they  who  point  our  pathway  and  sustain. 
They  rarely  meet ;  one  soars,  one  walks  retired. 
When  they  do  meet,  it  is  our  earth  inspired. 

To  see  Life's  formless  offspring  and  subdue 
Desire  of  times  unripe,  we  have  these  two, 
Whose  union  is  right  reason :  join  they  hands, 
The  world  shall  know  itself  and  where  it  stands ; 
What  cowering  angel  and  what  upright  beast 
Make  man,  behold,  nor  count  the  low  the  least, 
Nor  less  the  stars  have  round  it  than  its  flowers. 
When  these  two  meet,  a  point  of  time  is  ours. 

88 


FORESIGHT    AND    PATIENCE 

As  in  a  land  of  waterfalls,  that  flow 
Smooth  for  the  leap  on  their  great  voice  below, 
Some  eddies  near  the  brink  borne  swift  along, 
Will  capture  hearing  with  the  liquid  song, 
So,  while  the  headlong  world's  imperious  force 
Kesounded  under,  heard  I  these  discourse. 

First  words,  where  down  my  woodland  walk  she  led, 
To  her  blind  sister  Patience,  Foresight  said  : 

—Your  faith  in  me  appals,  to  shake  my  own, 
When  still  I  find  you  in  this  mire  alone. 

-The  few  steps  taken  at  a  funeral  pace 
By  men  had  slain  me  but  for  those  you  trace. 

—Look  I  once  back,  a  broken  pinion  I : 
Black  as  the  rebel  angels  rained  from  sky ! 

89 


A    READING    OF    LIFE 

—Needs  must  you  drink  of  me  while  here  you 

live, 
And  make  me  rich  in  feeling  I  can  give. 

—A  brave  To-be  is  dawn  upon  my  brow : 
Yet  must  I  read  my  sister  for  the  How. 
My  daisy  better  knows  her  God  of  beams 
Than  doth  an  eagle  that  to  mount  him  seems. 
She  hath  the  secret  never  fieriest  reach 
Of  wing  shall  master  till  men  hear  her  teach. 

— Liker  the  clod  flaked  by  the  driving  plough, 
My  semblance  when  I  have  you  not  as  now. 
The  quiet  creatures  who  escape  mishap 
Bear  likeness  to  pure  growths  of  the  green 

sap : 

A  picture  of  the  settled  peace  desired 
By  cowards  shunning  strife  or  strivers  tired. 
I  listen  at  their  breasts :  is  there  no  jar 

90 


FORESIGHT    AND    PATIENCE 

Of  wrestlings  and  of  stranglings,  dead  they  are, 
And  such  a  picture  as  the  piercing  mind 
Banks  beneath  vegetation.     Not  resigned 
Are  my  true  pupils  while  the  world  is  brute. 
What  edict  of  the  stronger  keeps  me  mute, 
Stronger  impels  the  motion  of  my  heart. 
I  am  not  Kesignation's  counterpart. 
If  that  I  teach,  'tis  little  the  dry  word, 
Content,  but  how  to  savour  hope  deferred. 
We  come  of  earth,  and  rich  of  earth  may  be ; 
Soon  carrion  if  very  earth  are  we ! 
The  coursing  veins,  the  constant  breath,  the 

use 

Of  sleep,  declare  that  strife  allows  short  truce ; 
Unless  we  clasp  decay,  accept  defeat, 
And  pass  despised ;  "a-cold  for  lack  of  heat," 
Like  other  corpses,  but  without  death's  plea. 

—My  sister  calls  for  battle;  is  it  she! 

91 


A    READING    OF    LIFE 

— Rather  a  world  of  pressing  men  in  arms, 

Than  stagnant,  where  the  sensual  piper  charms 

Each  drowsy  malady  and  coiling  vice 

With  dreams  of  ease  whereof  the  soul  pays  price ! 

No  home  is  here  for  peace  while  evil  breeds, 

While  error  governs,  none ;  and  must  the  seeds 

You  sow,  you  that  for  long  have  reaped  disdain, 

Lie  barren  at  the  doorway  of  the  brain, 

Let  stout  contention  drive  deep  furrows,  blood 

Moisten,  and  make  new  channels  of  its  flood ! 

—My  sober  little  maid,  when  we  meet  first, 
Drinks  of  me  ever  with  an  eager  thirst. 
So  can  I  not  of  her  till  circumstance 
Drugs  cravings.     Here  we  see  how  men  advance 
A  doubtful  foot,  but  circle  if  much  stirred, 
Like  dead  weeds  on  whipped  waters.  Shout  the 
word 

92 


FORESIGHT    AND    PATIENCE 

Prompting  their  hungers,  and  they  grandly  march, 
As  to  band-music  under  Victory's  arch. 
Thus  was  it,  and  thus  is  it;  save  that  then 
The  beauty  of  frank  animals  had  men. 

—Observe  them,  and  down  rearward  for  a  term, 
Gaze  to  the  primal  twistings  of  the  worm. 
Thence  look   this  way,   across  the  fields  that 

show 

Men's  early  form  of  speech  for  Yes  and  No. 
My  sister  a  bruised  infant's  utterance  had; 
And  issuing  stronger,  to  mankind  'twas  mad. 
I  knew  my  home  where  I  had  choice  to  feel 
The  toad  beneath  a  harrow  or  a  heel. 

—Speak  of  this  Age. 

—When  you  it  shall  discern 
Bright  as  you  are,  to  me  the  Age  will  turn. 

93 


A    READING    OF    LIFE 

—For  neither  of  us  has  it  any  care  j 

Its  learning  is  through  Science  to  despair. 

—Despair  lies  down  and  grovels,  grapples  not 
With  evil,  casts  the  burden  of  its  lot. 
This  Age  climbs  earth. 

—To  challenge  heaven. 

—Not  less 

The  lower  deeps.    It  laughs  at  Happiness! 
That  know  I,  though  the  echoes  of  it  wail, 
For  one  step  upward  on  the  crags  you  scale. 
Brave  is  the  Age  wherein  the  word  will  rust, 
Which  means  our  soul  asleep  or  body's  lust, 
Until  from  warmth  of  many  breasts,  that  beat 
A  temperate  common  music,  sunlike  heat 
The  happiness  not  predatory  sheds ! 

94 


FORESIGHT    AND    PATIENCE 

—But  your  fierce  Yes  and  No  of  butting  heads, 
Now  rages  to  outdo  a  horny  Past. 
Shades  of  a  wild  Destroyer  on  the  vast 
Are  thrown  by  every  novel  light  upraised. 
The   world's   whole   round  smokes  ominously, 

amazed 

And  trembling  as  its  pregnant  jEtna  swells. 
Combustibles  on  hot  combustibles 
Kun  piling,  for  one  spark  to  roll  in  fire 
The  mountain-torrent  of  infernal  ire 
And  leave  the  track  of  devils  where  men  built. 
Perceptive  of  a  doom,  the  sinner's  guilt 
Confesses  in  a  cry  for  help  shrill  loud, 
If  drops  the  dullness  of  a  passing  cloud, 
To  conscience,  reason,  human  love ;  in  vain : 
None  save  they  but  the  souls  which  them  contain. 
No  extramural  God,  the  God  within 
Alone  gives  aid  to  city  charged  with  sin. 

95 


A    READING    OF    LIFE 

A  world  that  for  the  spur  of  fool  and  knave. 
Sweats  in  its  laboratory,  what  shall  save? 
But  men  who  ply  their  wits  in  such  a  school, 
Must  pray  the  mercy  of  the  knave  and  fool. 

—Much  have  I  studied  hard  Necessity ! 

To  know  her  Wisdom's  mother,  and  that  we 

May  deem  the  harshness  of  her  later  cries 

In  labour  a  sure  goad  to  prick  the  wise, 

If  men  among  the  warnings  which  convulse, 

Can  gravely  dread  without  the  craven's  pulse. 

Long  ere  the  rising  of  this  Age  of  ours, 

The  knave  and  fool  were  stamped  as  monstrous 

Powers. 

Of  human  lusts  and  lassitudes  they  spring, 
And  are  as  lasting  as  the  parent  thing. 
Yet  numbering  locust  hosts,  bent  they  to  drill, 
They  might  o'ermatch  and  have  mankind  at 

will. 

96 


FORESIGHT    AND    PATIENCE 

Behold  such  army  gathering :  ours  the  spur, 
No  scattered  foe  to  face,  but  Lucifer. 
Not  fool  or  knave  is  now  the  enemy 
CKershadowing  men,  'tis  Folly,  Knavery ! 
A  sea;  nor  stays  that  sea  the  bastioned  beach. 
Now  must  the  brother  soul  alive  in  each, 
His  traitorous  individual  devildom 
Hold  subject  lest  the  grand  destruction  come. 
Dimly  men  see  it  menacing  apace 
To  overthrow,  perchance  uproot  the  race. 
Within,  without,  they  are  a  field  of  tares : 
Fruitfuller  for  them  when  the  contest  squares, 
And  wherefore  warrior  service  they  must  yield, 
Shines  visible  as  life  on  either  field. 
That  is  my  comfort,  following  shock  on  shock, 
Which  sets  faith  quaking  on  their  firmest  rock. 
Since  with  his  weapons,  all  the  arms  of  Night, 
Frail  men  have  challenged  Lucifer  to  fight, 
Have  matched  in  hostile  ranks,  enrolled,  erect, 

97  H 


A    READING    OF    LIFE 

The  human  and  Satanic  intellect, 

Determined  for  their  uses  to  control 

What  forces  on  the  earth  and  under  roll, 

Their  granite  rock  runs  igneous;  now  they  stand 

Pledged  to  the  heavens  for  safety  of  their  land. 

They  cannot  learn  save  grossly,  gross  that  are : 

Through  fear  they  learn  whose  aid  is  good  in  war. 

—My  sister,  as  I  read  them  in  my  glass, 
Their  field  of  tares  they  take  for  pasture  grass. 
How  waken  them  that  have  not  any  bent 
Save  browsing— the  concrete  indifferent ! 
Friend  Lucifer  supplies  them  solid  stuff: 
They  fear  not  for  the  race  when  full  the  trough. 
They  have  much  fear  of  giving  up  the  ghost  ; 
And  these  are  of  mankind  the  unnumbered  host. 

—If  I  could  see  with  you,  and  did  not  faint 
In  beating  wing,  the  future  I  would  paint. 

98 


FORESIGHT    AND    PATIENCE 

Those  massed  indifferents  will  learn  to  quake : 
Now  meanwhile  is  another  mass  awake, 
Once  denser  than  the  grunters  of  the  sty. 
If  I  could  see  with  you !     Could  I  but  fly ! 

—The    length   of  days   that  you   with   them   have 

housed, 
An  outcast  else,  approves  their  cause  espoused. 

— O  true,  they  have  a  cause,  and  woe  for  us, 
While  still  they  have  a  cause  too  piteous ! 
Yet,  happy  for  us  when,  their  cause  denned, 
They  walk  no  longer  with  a  stumbler  blind, 
And  quicken  in  the  virtue  of  their  cause, 
To  think  me  a  poor  mouther  of  old  saws ! 
I  wait  the  issue  of  a  battling  Age ; 
The  toilers  with  your  "  troughsters "  now  engage ; 
Instructing  them  through  their  acutest  sense, 
How  close  the  dangers  of  indifference ! 
Already  have  my  people  shown  their  worth, 

99 


A    HEADING    OF    LIFE 

More  love  they  light,  which  folds  the  love  of 
Earth. 

That  love  to  love  of  labour  leads :  thence  love 
Of  humankind— earth's  incense  flung  above. 

—Admit  some  other  features :  Faithless,  mean ; 
Encased  in  matter ;  vowed  to  Gods  obscene ; 
Contemptuous  of  the  impalpable,  it  swells 
On  Doubt ;  for  pastime  swallows  miracles ; 
And  if  I  bid  it  face  what  I  observe, 
Declares  me  hoodwinked  by  my  optic  nerve ! 

—Oft  has  your  prophet,  for  reward  of  toil, 
Seen  nests  of  seeming  cockatrices  coil : 
Disowned  them  as  the  unholiest  of  Time, 
"Which  were  his  offspring,  born  of  flame  on  slime. 
Nor  him,  their  sire,  have  known  the  filial  fry : 
As  little  as  Time's  earliest  knew  the  sky. 
Perchance  among  them  shoots  a  lustrous  flame 
At  intervals,  in  proof  of  whom  they  came. 
100 


FORESIGHT    AND    PATIENCE 

To  strengthen  our  foundations  is  the  task 

Of  this  tough  Age ;  not  in  your  beams  to  bask, 

Though,  lighted  by  your  beams,  down  mining 

caves 

The  rock  it  blasts,  the  hoarded  foulness  braves. 
My  sister  sees  no  round  beyond  her  mood; 
To  hawk  this  Age  has  dressed  her  head  in  hood. 
Out  of  the  course  of  ancient  ruts  and  grooves, 
It  moves :  O  much  for  me  to  say  it  moves ! 
About  his  JEthiop  Highlands  Nile  is  Nile, 
Though  not  the  stream  of  the  paternal  smile : 
And  where  his  tide  of  nourishment  he  drives, 
An  Abyssinian  wantonness  revives. 
Calm  as  his  lotus-leaf  to-day  he  swims; 
He  is  the  yellow  crops,  the  rounded  limbs, 
The  Past  yet  flowing,  the  fair  time  that  fills; 
Breath  of  all  mouths  and  grist  of  many  mills. 
To-morrow,  warning  none  with  tempest-showers, 
He  is  the  vast  Insensate  who  devours 

101 


A    READING    OF    LIFE 

His  golden  promise  over  leagues  of  seed, 

Then  sits  in  a  smooth  lake  upon  the  deed. 

The  races  which  on  barbarous  force  begin, 

Inherit  onward  of  their  origin, 

And  cancelled  blessings  will  the  current  length 

Keveal  till  they  know  need  of  shaping  strength. 

'Tis  not  in  men  to  recognize  the  need 

Before  they  clash  in  hosts,  in  hosts  they  bleed. 

Then  may  sharp  suffering  their  nature  grind ; 

Of  rabble  passions  grow  the  chieftain  Mind. 

Yet  mark  where  still  broad  Nile  boasts  thousands 

fed, 

For  tens  up  the  safe  mountains  at  his  head. 
Few  would  be  feed,  not  far  his  course  prolong, 
Save  for  the  troublous  blood  which  makes  him 

strong. 

— That  rings  of  truth !  More  do  your  people 
thrive ; 

102 


FORESIGHT    AND    PATIENCE 

Your  Many  are  more  merrily  alive 
Than  erewhile  when  I  gloried  in  the  page 
Of  radiant  singer  and  anointed  sage. 
Greece  was  my  lamp :  burnt  out  for  lack  of  oil 
Kome,  Python  Home,  prey  of  its  robber  spoil ! 
All  structures  built  upon  a  narrow  space 
Must  fall,  from  having  not  your  hosts  for  base. 
O  thrice  must  one  be  you,  to  see  them  shift 
Along  their  desert  flats,  here  dash,  there  drift ; 
With  faith,  that  of  privations  and  spilt  blood, 
Comes  Keason  armed  to  clear  or  bank  the  flood ! 
And  thrice  must  one  be  you,  to  wait  release 
From  duress  in  the  swamp  of  their  increase. 
At  which  oppressive  scene,  beyond  arrest, 
A  darkness  not  with  stars  of  heaven  dressed, 
Philosophers  behold ;  desponding  view 
Your  Many  nourished,  starved  my  brilliant  few ; 
Then  flinging  heels,  as  charioteers  the  reins, 
Dive  down  the  fumy  ^Etna  of  their  brains. 

103 


A    READING    OF    LIFE 

Belated  vessels  on  a  rising  sea, 
They  seem :  they  pass ! 

—But  not  Philosophy ! 

— Ay,  be  we  faithful  to  ourselves :  despise 
Nought  but  the  coward  in  us !     That  way  lies 
The  wisdom  making  passage  through  our  slough. 
Am  I  not  heard,  my  head  to  Earth  shall  bow; 
Like  her,  shall  wait  to  see,  and  seeing  wait. 
Philosophy  is  Life's  one  match  for  Fate. 
That  photosphere  of  our  high  fountain  One, 
Our  spirit's  Lord  and  Season's  fostering  sun, 
Philosophy,  shall  light  us  in  the  shade, 
Warm  in  the  frost,  make  Good  our  aim  and 

aid. 

Companioned  by  the  sweetest,  ay  renewed, 
Unconquerable,  whose  aim  for  aid  is  Good ! 
Advantage  to  the  Many :  that  we  name 
God's  voice ;  have  there  the  surety  in  our  aim. 
104 


FORESIGHT    AND    PATIENCE 

This  thought  unto  my  sister  do  I  owe. 
And  irony  and  satire  off  me  throw. 
They  crack  a  childish  whip,  drive  puny  herds, 
Where  numbers  crave  their  sustenance  in  words. 
Now  let  the  perils  thicken :  clearer  seen, 
Your  Chieftain  Mind  mounts  over  them  serene. 
Who  never  yet  of  scattered  lamps  was  born 
To  speed  a  world,  a  marching  world  to  warn, 

But  sunward  from  the  vivid  Many  springs, 

Counts   conquest  but  a  step,  and   through   disaster 

sings. 


105 


106 


FRAGMENTS  OF  THE  ILIAD 
IN    ENGLISH    HEXAMETER   VERSE 


107 


108 


A    BEADING    OF    LIFE 


ILIAD,  B.  i.  V.  149 
THE  INVECTIVE  OF  ACHILLES 

"HEIGH  me!  brazen  of  front,  thou  glutton  for  plunder, 

how  can  one, 
Servant  here   to  thy   mandates,    heed   thee   among   our 

Achaians, 
Either  the  mission  hie  on  or  stoutly  do  fight  with  the 

foemen? 
I,   not   hither  I  fared   on   account   of   the  spear-arme'd 

Trojans, 
Pledged  to  the  combat;  they  unto  me  have  in  nowise  a 

harm  done; 
Never  have  they,  of  a  truth,  come  lifting  my  horses  or 

oxen; 

109 


A    READING    OF    LIFE 

Never  in  deep-soiled   Phthia,  the  nurser  of  heroes,  my 

harvests 
Ravaged,  they;  for  between  us  is  numbered  full  many  a 

darksome 

Mountain,  ay,  therewith  too  the  stretch  of  the  windy  sea- 
waters. 
0  hugely  shameless!  thee  did  we  follow  to  hearten  thee, 

justice 
Pluck  from  the  Dardans  for  him,  Menelaos,  thee  too,  thou 

dog-eyed ! 
Whereof    little    thy  thought   is,   nought  whatever   thou 

reckest. 
Worse,  it  is  thou  whose  threat  'tis  to  ravish  my  prize 

from  me,  portion 
Won  with  much  labour,  the  which  my  gift  from  the  sons 

of  Achaia. 
Never,  in  sooth,  have  I  known  my  prize  equal  thine  when 

Achaians 

Gave  some  flourishing  populous  Trojan  town  up  to  pillage. 
Nay,  sure,  mine  were  the  hands  did  most  in  the  storm  of 

the  combat, 

110 


FRAGMENTS    OF    THE    ILIAD 

Yet  when  came  peradventure  share  of  the  booty  amongst 

us, 
Bigger  to  thee  went  the  prize,  while  I  some  small  blessed 

thing  bore 
Off  to  the  ships,  my  share  of  reward  for  my  toil  in  the 

bloodshed ! 
So  now  go  I  to  Phthia,  for  better  by  much  it  beseems 

me 
Homeward  go  with  my  beaked  ships  now,  and  I  hold  not 

in  prospect, 
I  being  outraged,  thou  mayst  gather  here  plunder  and 

wealth-store. " 


111 


A    READING    OF    LIFE 


V.  225 

"  Bibber  besotted,  with  scowl  of  a  cur,  having  heart  of  a 

deer,  thou! 
Never  to  join  to  thy  warriors  armed  for  the  press  of  the 

conflict, 

Never  for  ambush  forth  with  the  princeliest  sons  of  Achaia, 
Dared  thy  soul,  for  to  thee  that  thing  would  have  looked 

as  a  death-stroke. 
Sooth,  more  easy  it  seems,  down  the  lengthened  array  of 

Achaians, 
Snatch  at  the  prize  of  the  one  whose  voice  has  been  lifted 

against  thee. 
Ravening  king  of  the  folk,  for  that  thou  hast  thy  rule 

over  abjects; 
Else,  son  of  Atreus,  now  were  this  outrage  on  me  thy  last 

one. 
Nay,  but  I  tell  thee,  and  I  do  swear  a  big  oath  on  it 

likewise : 

112 


FRAGMENTS    OF    THE    ILIAD 

Yea,  by  the  sceptre  here,  and  it  surely  bears  branches  and 

leaf-buds 
Never  again,  since  first  it  was  lopped  from  its  trunk  on 

the  mountains, 
No  more  sprouting ;  for  round  it  all  clean  has  the  sharp 

metal  clipped  off 

Leaves  and  the  bark ;  ay,  verily  now  do  the  sons  of  Achaia, 
Guardian  hands  of  the  counsels  of  Zeus,  pronouncing  the 

judgement, 
Hold  it  aloft;  so  now  unto  thee  shall  the  oath  have  its 

portent ; 
Loud  will  the  cry  for  Achilles  burst  from  the  sons  of 

Achaia 
Throughout  the  army,  and  thou  chafe  powerless— though 

in  an  anguish, 

How  to  give  succour  when  vast  crops  down  under  man- 
slaying  Hector 
Tumble  expiring ;  and  thou  deep  in  thee  shalt  tear  at  thy 

heart-strings, 
Rage-wrung,  thou,  that  in  nought  thou  didst  honour  the 

flower  of  Achaians." 

113  l 


A    READING    OF    LIFE 


ILIAD,  B.  n.  V.  455 
MARSHALLING   OF   THE  ACHAIANS 

LIKE  as  a  terrible  fire  feeds  fast  on  a  forest  enormous, 
Up  on  a  mountain  height,  and  the  blaze  of  it  radiates 

round  far, 
So  on  the  bright  blest  arms  of  the  host  in  their  march 

did  the  splendour 
Gleam  wide  round  through  the  circle  of  air  right  up  to 

the  sky-vault. 
They,  now,  as  when  swarm  thick  in  the  air  multitudinous 

winged  flocks, 
Be  it  of  geese  or  of  cranes  or  the  long-necked  troops  of 

the  wild-swans, 
Off  that  Asian  mead,  by  the  flow  of  the  waters  of  Kay- 

stros ; 
Hither  and  yon  fly  they,  and  rejoicing  in  pride  of  their 

pinions, 

114 


FRAGMENTS    OF    THE    ILIAD 

Clamour,  shaped  to  their  ranks,  and  the  mead  all  about 

them  resoundeth ; 
So  those  numerous  tribes  from  their  ships  and  their  shel- 

terings  poured  forth 
On  that  plain  of  Scamander,  and  horrible  rumbled  beneath 

them 
Earth  to  the  quick-paced  feet  of  the  men  and  the  tramp 

of  the  horse-hooves. 
Stopped  they  then  on  the  fair-flower'd  field  of  Scamander, 

their  thousands 
Many  as  leaves  and  the  blossoms  born  of  the  flowerful 

season. 
Even   as   countless  hot-pressed  flies  in  their  multitudes 

traverse, 
Clouds  of  them,  under  some  herdsman's  wonning,  where 

then  are  the  milk-pails 

Also,  full  of  their  milk,  in  the  bountiful  season  of  spring- 
time; 

Even  so  thickly  the  long-haired  sons  of  Achaia  the  plain  held, 
Prompt  for  the  dash  at  the  Trojan  host,  with  the  passion 

to  crush  them. 

115 


A    READING    OF    LIFE 

Those,  likewise,  as  the  goatherds,  eyeing  their  vast  flocks 

of  goats,  know 
Easily  one  from  the  other  when  all  get  mixed  o'er  the 

pasture, 
So  did  the  chieftains  rank  them  here  there  in  their  places 

for  onslaught, 
Hard  on  the  push  of  the  fray;  and  among  them  King 

Agamemnon, 
He,  for  his  eyes  and  his  head,  as  when  Zeus  glows  glad 

in  his  thunder, 
He  with  the  girdle  of  Ares,  he  with  the  breast  of  Poseidon. 


116 


FRAGMENTS    OF    THE    ILIAD 


ILIAD,  B.  xi.  V.  148 
AGAMEMNON  IN  THE  FIGHT 

THESE,  then,  he  left,  and  away  where  ranks  were  now 

clashing  the  thickest, 
Onward  rushed,  and  with  him  rushed  all  of  the  bright- 

greaved  Achaians. 
Foot  then  footmen   slew,   that  were  flying  from  direful 

compulsion, 
Horse  at  the  horsemen  (up  from  off  under  them  mounted 

the  dust-cloud, 
Up  off  the  plain,  raised  up  cloud-thick  by  the  thundering 

horse -hooves) 
Hewed  with  the  sword's  sharp  edge ;  and  so  meanwhile 

Lord  Agamemnon 
Followed,  chasing  and  slaughtering  aye,  on-urging  the 

Argives. 

117 


A    READING    OF    LIFE 

Now,  as  when  fire  voracious  catches  the  undipped  wood- 
land, 

This  way  bears  it  and  that  the  great  whirl  of  the  wind, 
and  the  scrubwood 

Stretches  uptorn,  flung  forward  alength  by  the  fire's  fury 
rageing, 

So  beneath  Atreides  Agamemnon  heads  of  the  scattered 

Trojans  fell;  and  in  numbers  amany  the  horses,  neck- 
stiffened, 

Rattled  their  vacant  cars  down  the  roadway  gaps  of  the 
war-field, 

Missing  the  blameless  charioteers,  but,  for  these,  they 
were  outstretched 

Flat  upon  earth,  far  dearer  to  vultures  than  to  their  home- 
mates. 


118 


FRAGMENTS    OF    THE    ILIAD 


ILIAD,  B.  xi.  V.  378 
PAEIS  AND   DIOMEDES 

So  he,  with  a  clear  shout  of  laughter, 
Forth  of  his  ambush  leapt,  and  he  vaunted  him,  uttering 

thiswise : 
"  Hit  thou  art !  not  in  vain  flew  the  shaft ;  how  by  rights 

it  had  pierced  thee 
Into  the  undermost  gut,  therewith  to  have  rived  thee  of 

life-breath ! 
Following  that  had  the  Trojans  plucked  a  new  breath  from 

their  direst, 
They  all  frighted  of  thee,  as  the  goats  bleat  in  flight  from 

a  lion." 

Then  unto  him  untroubled  made  answer  stout  Diomedes: 
"Bow-puller,  jiber,   thy  bow  for  thy  glorying,  spyer  at 

virgins ! 

119 


A    READING    OF   LIFE 

If  that  thou  dared'st  face  me  here  out  in  the  open  with 

weapons, 
Nothing  then  would  avail  thee  thy  bow  and  thy  thick 

shot  of  arrows. 
Now  thou  plumest  thee  vainly  because  of  a  graze  of  my 

f ootsole ; 
Reck  I  as  were  that  stroke  from  a  woman  or  some  pettish 

infant. 
Aye  flies  blunted  the  dart  of  the  man  that's  emasculate, 

noughtworth ! 
Otherwise  hits,  forth  flying  from  me,  and  but  strikes  it 

the  slightest, 
My  keen  shaft,  and  it  numbers  a  man  of  the  dead  fallen 

straightway. 
Torn,  troth,  then  are  the  cheeks  of  the  wife  of  that  man 

fallen  slaughtered, 
Orphans  his  babes,  full  surely  he  reddens  the  earth  with 

his  blood-drops, 
Rotting,  round  him  the  birds,  more  numerous  they  than 

the  women." 

120 


FRAGMENTS    OF    THE    ILIAD 


ILIAD,  B.  xiv.  V.  283 
HYPNOS  ON  IDA 

THEY  then  to  fountain-abundant  Ida,  mother  of  wild  beasts, 

Came,  and  they  first  left  ocean  to  fare  over  mainland  at 
Lektos, 

Where  underneath  of  their  feet  waved  loftiest  growths  of 
the  woodland. 

There  hung  Hypnos  fast,  ere  the  vision  of  Zeus  was  ob- 
servant, 

Mounted  upon  a  tall  pine-tree,  tallest  of  pines  that  on  Ida 

Lustily  spring  off  soil  for  the  shoot  up  aloft  into  aether. 

There  did  he  sit  well-cloaked  by  the  wide-branched  pine 
for  concealment, 

That  loud  bird,  in  his  form  like,  that  perched  high  up  in 
the  mountains, 

Chalkis  is  named  by  the  Gods,  but  of  mortals  known  as 

Kymindis. 

121 


A    EEADING    OF    LIFE 


ILIAD,  B.  xiv.  V.  394 

CLASH  IN  AEMS  OF  THE  ACHAIANS  AND 
TROJANS 

NOT  the  sea-wave  so  bellows  abroad  when  it  bursts  upon 

shingle, 
Whipped  from  the  sea's  deeps  up  by  the  terrible  blast  of 

the  North  wind ; 
Nay,  nor  is  ever  the  roar  of  the  fierce  fire's  rush   so 

arousing, 
Down  along  mountain-glades,  when  it  surges  to  kindle  a 

woodland ; 
Nay,  nor  so  tonant  thunders  the  stress  of  the  gale  in  the 

oak-trees' 

Foliage-tresses  high,  when  it  rages  to  raving  its  utmost; 
As  rose  then  stupendous  the  Trojans'  cry  and  Achaians', 
Dread  upshouting  as  one  when  together  they  clashed  in 

the  conflict. 

122 


FRAGMENTS    OF    THE    ILIAD 


ILIAD,  B.  xvn.  V.  426 
THE  HORSES  OF  ACHILLES 

So  now  the  horses  of  Aiakides,  off  wide  of  the  war-ground, 

Wept,   since    first    they  were   ware    of    their    charioteer 
overthrown  there, 

Cast  down  low  in  the  whirl  of  the  dust  under  man-slaying 
Hector. 

Sooth,  meanwhile,  then  did  Automedon,  brave  son  of  Diores, 

Oft,  on  the  one  hand,  urge  them  with  flicks  of  the  swift 
whip,  and  oft,  too, 

Coax  entreatingly,  hurriedly;  whiles  did  he  angrily  threaten. 

Vainly,  for  these  would  not  to  the  ships,  to  the  Helle- 
spont spacious, 

Backward  turn,  nor  be  whipped  to  the  battle  among  the 
Achaians. 

Nay,  as  a  pillar  remains  immovable,  fixed  on  the  tomb- 
stone, 

123 


A    READING    OF    LIFE 

Haply,  of  some  dead  man  or  it  may  be  a  woman  there- 
under ; 

Even  like  hard  stood  they  there  attached  to  the  glorious 
war-car, 

Earthward  bowed  with  their  heads ;  and  of  them  so  lament- 
ing incessant 

Ean  the  hot  teardrops  downward  on  to  the  earth  from 
their  eyelids, 

Mourning  their  charioteer;  all  their  lustrous  manes  dusty- 
clotted, 

Eight  side  and  left  of  the  yoke-ring  tossed,  to  the  breadth 
of  the  yoke-bow. 

Now  when  the  issue  of  Kronos  beheld  that  sorrow, 
his  head  shook 

Pitying  them  for  their  grief,  these  words  then  he  spake 
in  his  bosom: 

"Why,  ye  hapless,  gave  we  to  Peleus  you,  to  a  mortal 

Master;  ye  that  are  ageless  both,  ye  both  of  you  death- 
less! 

Was  it  that  ye  among  men  most  wretched  should  come  to 

have  heart-grief  ? 

124 


FRAGMENTS    OF    THE    ILIAD 

'Tis  most  true,   than  the  race    of    these    men  is  their 

wretcheder  nowhere 
Aught  over  earth's  range  found  that  is  gifted  with  breath 

and  has  movement." 


125 


A    READING    OF    LIFE 


THE    MARES    OF    THE    CAMARGUE 

FROM  THE  Mireio  OF  MISTRAL 

A  HUNDRED  mares,  all  white!  their  manes 
Like  mace-reed  of  the  marshy  plains 
Thick-tufted,  wavy,  free  o'  the  shears: 
And. when  the  fiery  squadron  rears 
Bursting  at  speed,  each  mane  appears 
Even  as  the  white  scarf  of  a  fay 
Floating  upon  their  necks  along  the  heavens  away. 
126 


THE    MARES    OF    THE    CAMA^GUE 

0  race  of  humankind,  take  shame! 

For  never  yet  a  hand  could  tame 
Nor  bitter  spur  that  rips  the  flanks  subdue 

The  mares  of  the  Camargue.     I  have  known, 

By  treason  snared,  some  captives  shown; 

Expatriate  from  their  native  Rhone, 
Led  off,  their  saline  pastures  far  from  view: 


And  on  a  day,  with  prompt  rebound, 
They  have  flung  their  riders  to  the  ground, 

And  at  a  single  gallop,  scouring  free, 

Wide-nostriFd  to  the  wind,  twice  ten 

Of  long  marsh-leagues  devour'd,  and  then, 

Back  to  the  Vacares  again, 

After  ten  years  of  slavery  just  to  breathe  salt  sea. 


For  of  this  savage  race  unbent, 
The  ocean  is  the  element. 
Of  old  escaped  from  Neptune's  car,  full  sure, 

127 


A    BEADING    OF    LIFE 

Still  with,  the  white  foam  fleck'd  are  they, 
And  when  the  sea  puffs  black  from  grey, 
And  ships  part  cables,  loudly  neigh 
The  stallions  of  Camargue,  all  joyful  in  the  roar; 


And  keen  as  a  whip  they  lash  and  crack 
Their  tails  that  drag  the  dust,  and  back 
Scratch  up  the  earth,  and  feel,  entering  their  flesh,  where 

he, 

The  God,  drives  deep  his  trident  teeth, 
Who  in  one  horror,  above,  beneath, 
Bids  storm  and  watery  deluge  seethe, 
And  shatters  to  their  depths  the  abysses  of  the  sea. 

Cant.  iv. 


128 


